THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


STRAY  LEAVES  FROM 
ASSAM 


REV.    PITT    HOLLAND    MOORE,     M.    A.,     K.     I.     H. 


STRAY  LEAVES  FROM 
ASSAM 

A  continuation  of  my  Journal  "Twenty  Years 
in  Assam,"  "Further  Leaves  from  Assam," 
and  "Autumn  Leaves  from  Assam." 


EDITED  AND  PUBLISHED 

BY 

MRS.  P.  H.  MOORE. 


"  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of 
my  life."— Ps.  23:6. 


First  Edition,  500  Copies. 

ROCHESTER,  NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A. 

1916. 


PRESS  OF 

THE  BRANDOW  PRINTING  CO. 
ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


LOVINGLY  DEDICATED 
TO 

THE  MEMORY  OF  MY  HUSBAND, 
REV.  PITT  HOLLAND  MOORE,  M.  A. 


PREFACE 

This  little  book  is  simply  a  continuation  of 
my  Journal,  "  Twenty  Years  in  Assam," 
"  Further  Leaves  from  Assam,"  and  "Autumn 
Leaves  from  Assam." 

It  completes  our  36  years  and  more  of  work 
in  Assam. 

Assam  for  Christ  is  our  prayer. 

JESSIE  T,  MOORE. 

ROCHESTER,  NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A. 
November  llth,  1916. 


ASSAM:    THE  PROVINCE 


Assamese: 


Abors 

Duflas 

Gar  os 

Kacharis 

Lalungs 

Mikirs 

Miris 

Mishmis 

Nagas 

Rabbhas 

Singphos 

Sadiya 

Dibrugarh 

North  Lakhimpur 

Sibsagar 

Golaghat 

Jorhat 

Tezpur 

Nowgong 

Gauhati 

Goalpara 

Dhubri 


People  of  Aryan  descent,  who  have  for 
centuries  inhabited  the  Brahmaputra 
Valley. 


Hill  Tribes,  Non-Aryan  people. 


Plains  Stations. 


Tura 
Kohima 

Impur— 

Ukhrul 

Tika 


Stations. 


-Headquarters  of  Ao  Naga  Mission. 

'  Tangkhul  Naga  Mission. 
"  "  Mikir  Mission. 


PRONUNCIATION  OF  ASSAMESE  VOWELS 

a,  as  in  father. 

e,  as  in  prey, 

i,  as  in  machine, 

o,  as  in  chromo. 

a,  as  oo  in  poor. 

ai,  as  in  aisle, 

au,  as  ow  in  now. 

VERNACULAR  WORDS  DEFINED 

Salaam :   Salutation. 

Compound:  Yard;  enclosure  around  a  dwelling. 

Bungalow:  House  of  better  class,  as  distinguished  from  com- 
mon native  huts. 

Ghor:  A  native  dwelling-house,  usually  small  thatched  huts. 

Sahib:    Sir. 

Padri  Sahib:   Missionary. 

Mem  Sahib:   Married  lady. 

Ayah:  Native  nurse. 

Babu:   Native  gentleman. 

Soyce:   Native  groom. 

Zillah:   Station:  headquarters  of  a  district. 

Mofussil:  Camp.    The  country  in  opposition  to  the  city. 

Nam  Ghor:  A  public  meeting-house  for  Hindus.  It  answers 
for  a  town  hall,  used  for  both  religious  and  secular  gather- 
ings. 

Puja:  Worship;  in  which  sacrifice  and  offerings  generally  pre- 
ponderate. 

Dak:   Mail. 

Dak  Walla:   Mail  carrier. 

Backshees:  Alms. 

Rupee:   Indian  coin,  value  about  33  cents. 

Anna:  One-sixteenth  of  a  rupee. 

Pice:  One-fourth  of  an  anna. 

Fakir:  A  religious  mendicant. 

Pandit:  Teacher. 

Jesu  Kristo:  Jesus  Christ. 

Eswar:  God. 


CONTENTS 


Dr.  Bar  bout's  Visit  to  Assam.  1911  page 

New  Year's  service — Weddings — Thirty-one  years  in 
Nowgong — Rebuilding  girls'  dormitory — Annual  asso- 
ciation— Dr.  E.  W.  Clark's  eighty-first  birthday — Con- 
ference— Visitors — Doctors  Barbour  and  Anthony — Trip 
to  Kohima— Death  of  Mrs.  W.  E.  Witter—"  Closing 
Exercises  "  of  school — Mr.  Moore's  trip  to  Shillong — 
Miss  Holmes  in  Nowgong — Sunday  school  examination — 
Ten  days'  teaching  in  Jorhat — Miss  Long's  birthday — 
Bro.  Penn  Moore  and  wife  visit  us — Gauhati  "  Reference 
Committee  " — New  workers,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  U.  M.  Fox, 
and  Miss  Florence  Doe — Christmas 1 

II 

Voyage  to  America.  1912 

Thirty-two  years  in  Nowgong — Messrs.  Tilden  and 
Kampfer  take  their  first  examination  in  Assamese — Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wares  are  very  kind — Company — Picnic — 
Miss  Wilson  returns  from  America — Annual  Association 
— Trip  to  Shillong — Mr.  Moore  visits  Dacca — Govern- 
ment grant  for  our  new  school  house — 140  pupils  in 
school — Easter — Miss  Doe  and  Miss  Holmes  go  to  Mus- 
soorie — Miss  Long  is  off  for  Darjeeling — Miss  Crisen- 
berry  appointed  for  Nowgong — School  Inspectress  for 
Assam  visits  Nowgong — Birth  of  Gordon  Charles  Harris 
— Kullung  River  rising — Voyage  to  America — Madras, 
Colombo,  Aden,  Suez,  Port  Said,  London  and  New  York 
— Reached  Clara's  home  November  6th — My  fifty-fifth 
birthday — Christmas  joy 12 

III 

Missionary  Conference  in  Assam.  1913 

Clara's  boys  are  fine— New  Year's  dinner — Pitt's  let- 
ter— Miss  Crisenberry  in  Nowgong — Miss  Doe's  first 
examination  in  Assamese — "  Twelfth  session  of  Confer- 
ence "  in  Gauhati — Nowgong  report — Mr.  Tuttle  sec- 


CONTENTS 

Page 

retary  of  Assam  Mission — New  "  Reference  Committee  " 
— "  Durbar  medal  "  received — Chief  Commissioner  visits 
our  school — Baptisms — Return  to  Averill  Park — Death 
of  Rev.  E.  W.  Clark,  D.  D.— Death  of  Mrs.  C.  E.  Pet- 
rick  of  Assam — Building  of  new  school  house  in  Now- 
gong — Sailing  on  steamer  "  Mauretania  " — Good  voy- 
age— 4th  of  July — Three  days  in  London — July  15th 
sail  for  India  on  the  B.  I.  steamer  "  Neuralia  " — Weather 
fine,  but  hot — Landed  in  Calcutta  August  13th — Now- 
gong  on  August  18th — Glad  to  be  at  home  in  Nowgong, 
Assam,  India — Mr.  Moore  visits  Jorhat — Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fox  in  Nowgong — Miss  Doe  amd  Miss  Holmes  pass 
second  examination — Thanksgiving  Day — Mr.  Moore's 
sixtieth  birthday — "Judson  Centennial  "  in  Burmah. ...  26 


IV 

Twelve  "Judson  Tourists"  Visit  Nowgong.  1914 

New  Year's  letters — Visitors  of  "Judson  Tourist" 
party — "Opening  Exercises"  in  our  new  school  building — 
Nowgong  in  holiday  attire — Dr.  and  Mrs.  C.  A.  Nichols 
are  in  Nowgong — "All-Assam  Convention" — Rev.  and 
Mrs.  Longwell  visit  Nowgong — Association — Mr.  Tuttle 
and  Mr.  Moore  tramp  to  Manipur— Committee  meet- 
ing— July  8th,  our  thirty-fifth  wedding  anniversary — I 
start  for  America — Pleasant  voyage — Rumors  of  war 
received  at  Aden — New  York,  September  5th — Met  my 
Bro.  Orson  W.  Moore — In  the  old  home  at  Averill  Park, 
N.  Y. — Go  to  Clara's  home  in  November — Birthday — 
Thanksgiving  and  Christmas 55 


The  Awarding  of  a  Medal.  1915 

Regular  letters  from  India — "  Sunday  School  Pa- 
geant " — Miss  Elizabeth  Hay  reached  Nowgong — Just 
thirty-five  years  in  Nowgong — "Assam  Conference"  at 
Golaghat — Notice  received  of  the  awarding  of  the 
"  Kaisar-i-Hind  Medal  " — Clara's  birthday — Mr.  Kamp- 
fer's  letter — April  9th,  I  return  to  Averill  Park,  N.  Y. — 
Annual  association  at  Udmari — Visit  to  Upton,  Mass. — 
Our  thirty-sixth  anniversary — Pitt's  letter — October  8th, 
in  Rochester,  N.  Y. — Birth  of  Charles  Richard  Harris — 
Miss  Anna  M.  Barkley— Mrs.  W.  H.  Roberts— Pitt's 
sixty-second  birthday — Merry  Christmas 72 


CONTENTS 

VI 
Home  Going.  1916  pagf 

January  16th,  just  thirty-six  years  in  Nowgong — Visit 
to  Pontiac,  Mich. — Miss  Long  returns  to  America — A 
call  from  Mrs.  E.  G.  Phillips — Sad  news  from  Assam — 
Bro.  Perm  Moore  is  in  Nowgong — During  Conference 
they  take  Mr.  Moore  to  Calcutta — His  death,  March 
3rd — Funeral  in  Nowgong  on  March  8th — "  Resolu- 
tions," "Tributes,"  and  account  of  the  funeral. .  80 


STRAY  LEAVES  FROM  ASSAM 


Dr.  Harbour's  Visit  to  Assam 

January  1,  1911. — This  has  been  a  good 
Sunday  here.  Early  in  the  morning  there  were 
three  baptisms,  then  the  noon  preaching,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Communion  Service.  At  2  p.  M. 
Sunday  School,  and  later  Prayer  Meeting. 

January  8. — We  received  a  good  letter  from. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  S.  W.  Rivenburg.  They  were 
married  in  Nowgong  on  December  28,  1910, 
Mrs.  Rivenburg  was  Miss  Helen  B.  Protzman, 
Brother  Penn  E.  Moore  and  his  Evalyn  are 
at  Tika  now.  They  were  married  October 
26,  1910,  in  New  London,  New  Hampshire. 
Evalyn  was  Miss  E.  S.  Carter. 

Our  new  workers.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Riley 
Bailey  are  at  Impur.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  George 
R.  Kampfer,  and  Miss  E.  Marie  Holmes  are 
in  Gauhati. 

Our  conference  with  Dr.  T.  S.  Barbour  will  be 
in  Gauhati,  March  4th  to  12th.  Just  after  con- 
ference Dr.  E.  W.  Clark  will  start  for  America. 


2  "Annual  Association." 

January  16. — Just  31  years  ago  today  we 
first  reached  Nowgong.  Years  full  of  our 
Father's  help  and  blessing.  Oh  that  we  may 
serve  Him  better.  Mr.  Moore  is  very  busy 
rebuilding  our  girl's  dormitory.  It  will  be 
large  enough  for  80  girls.  Miss  Anna  E.  Long 
returned  December  9,  1910,  and  is  happy  to 
be  again  with  Humitre  and  the  girls. 

January  17. — We  do  so  enjoy  the  large 
photo  of  Robert  Moore  Harris,  our  little 
grandson.  Roland  and  Clara  sent  us  the 
photo  for  Christmas. 

February  5. — My  husband  has  gone  to 
attend  the  "Annual  Association"  of  the  Chris- 
tians of  our  Nowgong  District.  He  wrote — 
"We  had  good  meetings,  and  the  Lord  was 
with  us." 

In  writing  to  our  daughter  Clara  Mr.  Moore 
said — "I  feel  for  myself  that  my  own  life  be- 
comes more  and  more  circumscribed  within  the 
limits  of  my  own  work,  and  the  interests  with 
which  I  have  to  deal  in  our  Assam  Mission. 
This  is  not  as  I  would  choose;  but  it  may  be 
necessary  to  enable  me  to  fulfill  the  little  task 
God  has  assigned  me  here.  The  most  unsatis- 
factory part  of  it  is  one  sees  so  much  that  needs 


Dr.  Clark's  Birthday.  3 

doing  that  one  can't  even  attempt  to  do,  and 
so  many  wide  doors  of  opportunity  that  one 
can't  enter.  The  satisfaction  of  it  lies  in  the 
consciousness  that  I  am  in  the  place  that  God 
assigned  me;  and  in  the  real  presence  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  all  the  varied  duties  of  life  here. 
More  and  more  I  learn  to  see  the  blessedness 
of  life  is  internal  rather  than  in  externals. 
More  and  more  I  feel  that  to  understand,  and 
yield  oneself  to  the  ideas  and  ideals  of  Jesus, 
is  to  make  one's  life  a  success,  which  shall  be 
attested  by  abiding  in  Christ's  love,  and 
by  a  growing  transformation  to  His  perfect 
character." 

February  25. — This  is  our  good  Dr.  E.  W. 
Clark's  81st  birthday.  He  is  now  in  Gauhati, 
and  just  after  Conference  he  and  Rev.  O.  L. 
Swanson  will  start  for  America.  Dr.  T.  S. 
Barbour  and  Dr.  A.  W.  Anthony  will  probably 
sail  for  America  in  April. 

February  27. — We  are  to  leave  this  evening 
for  Conference  in  Gauhati.  Mrs.  J.  M.  Carvell 
has  written  a  good  hymn  to  be  sung  at  Confer- 
ence. 


4  Conference. 

ASSAM  CONFERENCE  HYMN 

Tune — Jesus  the  very  thought  of  Thee 

From  hill  and  plain  we  gather  here, 

Thy  guidance  Lord  to  seek, 
May  self  be  hid  and  Christ  extolled, 

In  this,  our  Conference  week. 

While  in  Thy  Kingdom's  cause,  dear  Lord, 

We  meet  to  plan  and  pray, 
Grant  us  Thy  wisdom  from  above, 

Reveal  Thy  will  and  way. 

We  have  no  might  apart  from  Thee, 

No  wisdom,  skill,  or  power. 
Thus  now  in  one  accord  we  pray, 

God  bless  this  Conference  hour. 

And  as  we  separate  again, 

Our  work  for  Thee  to  do, 
Go  with  us,  Lord,  and  help  us  spread 

Thy  tidings  glad  and  true. 

Then  in  the  Spirit's  might  and  power, 

With  Him  the  Great  I  am, 
We'll  gather  for  the  Harvest  Home, 
Our  sheaves  from  dark  Assam. 

— ALICE  P.  CARVELLL, 

Conference,  1911. 

Conference,  March  4th  to  12th,  1911.  "  The 
Diamond  Jubilee  Conference  of  the  American 
Baptist  Assam  Mission."  The  Eleventh  Ses- 
sion of  our  Conference.  We  had  a  good  Con- 
ference, but  did  not  follow  our  program,  as 
much  time  was  given  to  Dr.  Barbour.  He  had 
a  long  list  of  subjects  to  present,  and  several 


"  Social."  5 

missionaries  had  requests  to  make.  The 
"  Reference  Committee  "  often  worked  until 
midnight.  There  were  27  of  our  Assam  mis- 
sionaries present,  and  11  missionaries  absent 
who  are  now  in  Assam.  Our  visitors  were  Dr. 
T.  S.  Barbour,  Foreign  Secretary  of  the  "Amer- 
ican Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society,"  and 
Dr.  A.  W.  Anthony,  member  of  the  "  Board  " 
and  representative  of  the  Free  Baptists. 

Fraternal  delegates  were,  from  Burma,  Rev. 
G.  J.  Geis  and  Rev.  A.  E.  Seagrave,  and  from 
South  India,  Prof.  L.  E.  Martin  and  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  D.  Downie.  Each  Session  of  Conference 
was  begun  with  a  Devotional  Service,  and  often 
15  minutes  for  prayer  in  the  sessions. 

At  the  "  Social "  on  Thursday  evening 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Mason  read  an  excellent  historical 
paper  entitled,  "  These  Seventy-five  Years." 
This  paper  will  be  printed  with  the  "  Minutes  " 
of  Conference. 

Sundays  were  the  best  days  of  Conference, 
when  we  listened  to  good  sermons  in  English 
and  in  Assamese.  On  the  second  Sunday  at 
1  P.  M.  was  the  Ordination  Service  for  Dr. 
H.  W.  Kirby.  It  was  a  solemn  and  beautiful 
service.  At  4  p.  M.  Dr.  T.  S.  Barbour  preached 
from  1st  Cor.  15:  11. 


6  Death  of  Mrs.  Witter. 

Our  Conference  closed  with  a  Prayer  Meeting 
led  by  Rev.  John  Firth.  We  return  to  our  work 
stronger  in  faith  to  ask  great  things  of  God. 

After  Conference  Mr.  Moore  accompanied 
Dr.  Anthony  to  Kohima,  Golaghat,  Jorhat  and 
Sibsagar. 

Dr.  Barbour  went  to  Impur,  and  to  Sadiya 
and  Jorhat. 

We  are  glad  our  secretaries  could  see  so 
many  stations  and  do  such  strenuous  work. 

March  30. — Mr.  Moore  has  returned  and 
seems  well.  He  said  Dr.  Anthony  called 
Gauhati  and  Sibsagar  the  beauty  spots  of 
Assam. 

There  are  now  987  girls  reading  in  Christian 
schools  in  Assam.  Of  this  number  520  are 
Garos.  There  were  1,000  baptisms  last  year 
in  connection  with  our  Assam  mission. 

April  16. — Easter  Sunday.  Our  text  today 
was — "  That  I  may  know  Him,  and  the  power 
of  His  resurrection." 

May  23. — We  have  just  learned  of  the 
death  of  Mrs.  W.  E.  Witter,  which  occurred 
April  6,  1911,  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  Dear  little 
woman!  At  last  she  is  free  from  pain.  During 
her  last  months  the  children,  Volney  and 


"  Closing  Exercises."  7 

Marjorie,  left  their  studies  and  cared  for  and 
nursed  their  mother  most  tenderly.  We  have 
written  Dr.  Witter  of  our  love  and  sympathy. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witter  came  to  Assam  in  1883 
and  would  have  continued  in  the  work  in  Assam 
if  health  had  permitted.  They  reduced  the 
Lhota  Naga  language  to  writing. 

June  7. — Yesterday  at  2  p.  M.  Miss  Long  had 
the  "  Closing  Exercises  "  of  our  Girls'  School. 
This  year  only  women  and  girls  were  invited. 
The  women  (Hindus  and  Mohammedans)  came 
in  curtained  bullock  carts  and  observed  purdah 
rules.  Our  Christian  women  and  girls  turned 
out  well.  There  are  now  100  children  in  school, 
including  our  30  boarders.  The  program  con- 
sisted of  essays,  recitations  and  songs. 

June  8. — My  husband  and  Dr.  M.  C. 
Mason  of  Tura  have  gone  to  Shillong  for  one 
week.  They  were  invited  to  attend  "  The 
Committee  on  Female  Education  for  Eastern 
Bengal  and  Assam."  Their  expenses  are  paid 
by  government.  From  Gauhati  they  went  up 
to  Shillong  by  motor,  and  thus  did  the  60 
miles  up-hill  in  a  few  hours.  Shillong  is  a 
pretty  hill  station  of  5,000  feet  elevation.  The 
committee  meetings  will  be  June  9  to  13. 


8  Delhi  Durbar. 

June  11. — Pitt  finds  Shillong  much  changed 
and  improved  since  our  visit  there  in  1887, 
when  Clara  was  only  6  years  old.  In  1888 
we  took  Clara  to  Darjeeling,  Calcutta,  and 
Benares,  and  the  next  year  to  America.  Shil- 
long is  the  government  headquarters  in  Assam, 
and  very  pretty,  with  its  hills,  clear  running 
water  and  gravelled  roads.  Also  beautiful 
trees,  flowers  and  birds. 

June  17. — Henry  Goldsmith's  eldest  son, 
Comfort,  made  a  short  visit  to  Nowgong  to 
bring  his  sister  Ethel  to  school.  Comfort  has 
just  passed  his  "  entrance  examination,"  and 
will  soon  enter  Serampore  College.  Pitt  has 
just  returned  from  Shillong,  and  Miss  E.  Marie 
Holmes  has  come  from  Gauhati  to  stay  a  few 
weeks  with  us  and  study  Assamese. 

June  22. — This  is  the  Coronation  Day  for 
King  George  V  and  Queen  Mary,  a  great  day 
in  London.  December  12  has  been  appointed 
for  the  Delhi  Durbar,  when  the  King  and 
Queen  are  expected  to  be  in  India. 

July  4. — We  put  up  our  flags  today,  and 
then  did  as  usual.  Mr.  Carvell  is  spending 
ten  days  with  us,  and  will  help  put  down  the 
brick-cement  floor  in  our  girls'  dormitory. 


Miss  Florence  H.  Doe.  9 

July  8. — This  morning  Pitt  reminded  me  of 
what  took  place  32  years  ago  in  the  old  home 
church.  Happy  years  they  have  been  in  our 
Father's  love  and  care. 

Miss  Long  has  just  heard  that  Miss  Florence 
H.  Doe,  a  Wellesley  graduate,  will  come  to 
Nowgong.  She  will  sail  in  the  missionary 
party,  September  16,  from  Boston. 

July  29.— This  is  our  day  in  the  "  Mis- 
sionary Prayer  Calendar."  I  always  feel  con- 
scious on  such  days  that  friends  and  relatives 
are  praying  for  us. 

August  4. — The  good  news  has  come  from 
Gauhati  that  Rev.  and  Mrs.  G.  R.  Kampfer 
have  a  little  daughter,  Margaret  Alethea,  born 
August  2,  1911. 

September  22. — Pitt  has  gone  to  Jorhat 
for  ten  days,  to  help  teach  the  Annual  Bible 
Classes  of  Preachers  and  Helpers.  Word  has 
come  that  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  of  Impur  have 
an  eight-pound  baby  boy,  James  McClure, 
born  on  the  17th  of  September,  1911. 

October  21. — Bro.  Penn  E.  Moore  and  wife 
are  spending  a  few  days  with  us. 

November  11. — My  54th  birthday.   A  letter 


io  "  Reception." 

came  from  Pitt,  who  is  in  Gauhati  to  attend  a 
meeting  of  the  "Assam  Reference  Committee." 
Pitt's  letter  said — "  Many  very  happy  returns 
of  the  day.  Would  like  to  be  with  you  to  enjoy 
it.  Hope  all  will  be  peaceful  and  prosperous." 
There  will  be  a  good  many  missionaries  in 
Gauhati  this  week.  Our  new  workers  are 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  Url  M.  Fox,  and  Miss  Florence 
H.  Doe.  The  returning  workers  are  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  L.  W.  B.  Jackman,  and  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
A.  C.  Bowers.  Rev.  A.  E.  Stephen  has  already 
arrived. 

November  19. — Miss  Doe  has  come  to 
Nowgong,  and  all  are  delighted.  She  will  have 
charge  of  our  Girls'  School.  The  girls  will  give 
her  a  "  Reception." 

December  1. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  have  just 
visited  us.  It  is  delightful  to  see  some  one 
just  out  from  home. 

December  4. — Pitt  is  58  years  old  today. 
For  dinner  we  invited  Misses  Doe,  Holmes  and 
Long.  After  dinner  Miss  Doe  sang  "  Moment 
by  Moment,"  and  the  school  girls  came  and 
sang  "  Happy  Birthday  to  You."  Pitt  seemed 
very  happy  all  day,  and  in  the  evening  he  played 
"  Lawn  Tennis." 


Christmas.  1 1 

December  12. — King  George  V  was  de- 
clared Emperor  of  India  today  at  noon  at 
Delhi,  and  there  is  celebrating  throughout 
India. 

December  20. — We  find  there  have  been 
70  baptisms  in  our  Nowgong  District  this 
year,  of  whom  40  are  Mikirs. 

December  25. — Miss  Bond  and  Miss  Hoi- 
brook  are  spending  Christmas  in  Nowgong, 
and  we  have  all  had  a  very  pleasant  day. 
We  took  dinner  at  Miss  Long's  bungalow, 
where  there  are  five  young  ladies,  including 
Miss  Holmes.  The  Christians  had  the  usual 
Christmas  feast  and  sports.  The  ladies  had 
a  tree  for  the  school  children.  Penn  and 
Evalyn  wrote  they  had  a  little  excitement  in 
a  tiger  hunt. 


II 

Voyage  to  America,  1912 

January  1,  1912. — Monday.  We  have  had  a 
very  happy  New  Year's  Day.  Misses  Doe, 
Holmes  and  Long  took  dinner  with  us. 

January  2. — Home  mail  came  today  and 
brought  my  niece's  wedding  announcement. 
Dr.  Frank  Gibson  Calder  and  Miss  Edna  Clara 
Traver  were  to  be  married  January  1,  1912,  at 
Averill  Park,  N.  Y. 

Miss  Holmes  took  her  first  examination  in 
Assamese,  and  passed  with  credit. 

January  12. — Word  has  just  come  of  the 
arrival  of  little  Henry  Rivenburg  on  January 
6,  1912.  in  Kohima,  Assam.  There  are  105 
members  in  the  Kohima  church  now,  and  they 
have  just  held  the  first  Augami  Naga  Asso- 
ciation. 

January  16. — Thirty-two  years  today  we 
have  been  in  Nowgong.  It  seems  such  a  short 
time  since  we  arrived  here,  and  we  have  so 
much  for  which  to  be  thankful. 

January  28.  —  Messrs.  Tilden  and  Kampfer 
have  come  to  take  their  first  examination  in 

12 


Shillong.  13 

Assamese.  Tomorrow  Mr.  Kampfer  will  leave 
for  Gauhati,  and  Mr.  Tilden  will  go  to  visit 
Penn  and  Evalyn  at  Tika,  before  returning  to 
Jorhat.  Our  new  deputy  commissioner  is  Mr. 
Wares.  He  and  his  wife  and  Miss  Coupar  are 
such  pleasant  Scotch  folks. 

February  28. — Pitt  attended  the  Annual 
Association  at  Singamari,  February  24  to  26. 
There  were  200  in  attendance,  of  whom  40 
were  Mikir  Christians  from  Tika.  Bro.  Penn 
Moore  and  wife  were  there,  and  Miss  Long 
and  12  girls  from  our  boarding  school. 

February  25  was  appointed  as  a  day  of  prayer 
for  all  India,  and  it  was  made  a  time  of  seeking 
the  presence  and  blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

March  13. — Yesterday  I  returned  home  from 
a  nice  outing  of  one  week.  I  first  went  to 
Gauhati  and  stayed  over  night  with  Mrs. 
Kampfer.  At  8  A.  M.,  on  March  6,  I  took  the 
motor  for  Shillong,  63  miles.  The  cost  of  the 
motor  ride  was  18  rupees  (six  dollars).  The 
driver  was  careful,  and  we  went  up,  up,  until 
2  P.  M.,  when  Shillong,  the  beautiful  hill  station 
among  the  pine  trees  appeared.  Shillong  is 
5,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  the  climate  is 
very  pleasant.  The  roads  are  metalled,  and 


14  Dacca. 

the  place  is  kept  very  clean.  I  enjoyed  walking 
about,  and  saw  the  government  offices  and 
many  bungalows.  On  March  8,  our  Clara's 
31st  birthday,  I  called  on  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Evans  of  the  Welsh  Presbyterian  Mission,  and 
in  the  afternoon  several  of  their  missionaries 
called  on  me  at  the  Dak  bungalow.  The  stone 
houses  of  Shillong  were  all  ruined  in  the  big 
earthquake  of  June  12,  1897,  and  it  has  since 
been  rebuilt.  On  March  11,  I  returned  to  Now- 
gong. 

March  23. — Pitt  was  invited  by  government 
to  attend  the  committee  on  "  Moral  and 
Religious  Instruction  in  Schools,"  which  meets 
in  Dacca,  Eastern  Bengal,  on  March  21  and 
22.  Government  has  granted  our  mission 
15,000  rupees  ($5,000)  to  build  a  good  school 
house  in  Nowgong  for  our  Girl's  School.  Pitt 
will  superintend  the  building.  Rev.  S.  A.  D. 
Boggs  is  now  starting  on  his  furlough  to 
U.  S.  of  America. 

April  1. — We  now  have  140  pupils  in  school, 
of  whom  80  are  in  the  kindergarten  department. 
The  little  Hindu  and  Mohammedan  girls  will 
be  allowed  to  come  to  school  for  only  two  or 
three  years.  When  12  years  old  they  will  be 


Easter  Sunday.  15 

shut  up  in  Zenanas  or  married.  Of  course  the 
girls  of  Christian  parents  can  be  kept  longer 
in  school.  Four  of  our  big  girls  are  studying 
in  Calcutta  now,  and  will  soon  be  able  to  help 
out  our  teaching  staff. 

April  7. — Bro.  Penn  Moore  and  wife  are 
spending  Easter  Sunday  with  us. 

April  14. — I  am  alone  today  as  Pitt  has  gone 
to  Balijuri  for  the  week  end,  and  will  hold 
services  there  and  baptize  three  persons.  Miss 
Holmes  and  Miss  Doe  have  gone  to  Mus- 
soorie,  where  Miss  Holmes  will  remain  for 
some  months  and  try  to  grow  strong.  On  their 
way  up  to  Mussoorie  they  did  some  sightseeing 
in  Lucknow,  Agra  and  Delhi.  Delhi  has  been 
made  the  capital  of  India. 

April  17. — Too  rainy  here  to  get  out  for  a 

walk  this  evening,  and  I  have  been  saying  over 
the  lines  Miss  Holmes  often  repeats — "  It  is 
not  raining  rain  to  me,  it's  raining  violets." 
Also  the  lines  by  Robert  Browning — "  I  find 
earth  not  gray,  but  rosy;  Heaven  not  grim, 
but  fair  of  hue;  do  I  stop?  I  pluck  a  posy. 
Do  I  stand  and  stare?  All's  blue." 

April  23. — A  letter  has  come  from  Miss 
Isabella  Wilson,  which  was  written  on  the 


1 6  Miss  Long. 

Atlantic  steamer,  on  her  way  back  to  Gauhati, 
Assam.  She  had  as  cabin-mate  Mrs.  H.  W. 
Mix,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  us  in  1879. 

May  4. — Miss  Doe  returned  at  9  P.  M. 
from  Mussoorie.  We  are  so  glad  to  have  her 
back. 

May  5. — Pitt  has  gone  to  Balijuri  to  hold 
Sunday  services  with  the  village  Christians. 

May  8. — Our  school  has  closed  for  the  long 
vacation.  After  the  "  closing  exercises  "  Mrs. 
Wares  distributed  "  sweets "  to  the  140  girl 
pupils,  and  they  went  off  to  their  homes  most 
happy.  Misses  Long  and  Doe  took  some  of 
the  outside  ladies  to  inspect  our  new  dormitory. 

May  14. — Miss  Long  is  starting  for  Darjee- 
ling,  to  enjoy  her  well  earned  vacation.  We 
have  just  lost  a  little  girl,  "  Horu,"  from  our 
dormitory.  She  was  ill  only  two  days  with 
acute  diarrhea.  There  is  some  cholera  about 
the  station  now,  and  we  are  trying  to  have  the 
Christians  be  careful  about  food  and  water. 

May  19. — We  are  having  a  week  of  bright, 
hot  weather.  Mercury  goes  up  to  92°  in  our 
north  verandah.  At  this  season  there  are  some 
birds  who  give  such  persistent  and  monoto- 


Darjeeling.  17 

nous  calls  as  do  not  contribute  to  our  enjoy- 
ment and  comfort.  Mosquitoes  too,  are  a 
nuisance. 

June  1. — The  revised  "  copy  "  of  "  Line 
Upon  Line,"  Part  3rd,  in  Assamese,  was  re- 
ceived from  Henry  Goldsmith  today,  and  it 
will  be  sent  to  Calcutta  to  be  printed.  I  will 
have  some  proofreading  to  do  now. 

June  7. — Word  has  come  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  Miss  Edith  E.  Crisenberry  of  Nebraska 
for  the  kindergarten  work  in  Nowgong. 

June  11. — In  the  mail  this  week  we  received 
the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  my  niece,  Miss 
Florence  C.  McKenna  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  She 
died  on  the  8th  of  May,  1912,  and  was  23 
years  old.  This  is  a  sad  blow  for  my  sister 
Mame  and  family. 

June  12. — A  letter  just  received  from  Miss 
Long,  from  Darjeeling,  gives  a  description  of 
a  beautiful  sunrise  on  the  snowy  range  of  the 
Himalayas.  She  said — "At  4:30  A.  M.  I 
watched  the  sunrise  on  the  eternal  snows.  A 
soft,  blue  haze  was  over  the  horizon  for  a 
time,  but  it  gradually  faded  away  and  the 
first  roseate  lights  of  early  sunrise  flashed 


1 8  Miss  M.  C.  Somerville. 

across  the  sky.  All  the  soft,  lovely  colors  of 
the  rainbow  were  caught  and  reflected  on  the 
great  mass  of  whiteness  before  us.  The  high- 
est peaks  shone  forth  gold-tipped  with  not  a 
cloud  to  mar  their  beauty.  Just  below  lay 
soft,  downy,  fluffy  clouds  rolling  towards  the 
sunrise  like  billows  of  the  sea.  In  silence  we 
sat  filled  with  thoughts  too  deep  for  words. 
In  the  silence  and  beauty  of  it  all  we  were 
drawn  very  near  to  our  Maker." 

In  reading  the  other  day  I  was  impressed 
with  these  words — "  We  shall  grow  old,  but 
never  lose  life's  best,  because  the  road's  last 
turn  will  be  the  best." 

June  15. — Nowgong  is  having  a  visit  from 
Miss  M.  C.  Somerville,  M.  A.,  School  In- 
spectress  for  Assam.  She  visited  our  school 
and  inspected  the  girls'  sewing.  Today  she 
came  over  to  have  a  talk  with  Mr.  Moore 
about  our  expected  new  school  house,  and  then 
went  to  see  our  dormitory. 

July  2. — Last  evening  we  had  good  news 
from  home.  Roland  wrote — "  Clara  has  given 
me  another  son.  Gordon  Charles  Harris  was 
born  June  2,  1912.  We  are  so  glad  Robert 
has  a  little  brother  now. 


Sunday  School  Examination.  19 

July  4. — Pitt  has  gone  to  Calcutta  to  order 
iron  posts  and  other  material  for  our  new 
school  house. 

July  14. — Pitt  was  away  on  our  wedding 
anniversary,  which  was  July  8.  He  wrote — 
"  Dear  Jessie:  How  can  I  tell  you  how  much 
I  owe  to  you  for  the  33  years  of  loving  com- 
panionship and  help  you  have  given  me.  God 
gave  you  to  me,  knowing  that  I  needed  you. 
I  praise  Him  for  so  imperial  a  gift,  of  which  I 
was  wholly  unworthy.  With  bushels  of  love, 
and  thanks  and  praise.  Your  loving  Pitt." 

July  15. — Pitt  has  returned  from  Calcutta. 
On  the  way  back  he  called  at  Tezpur  and 
talked  with  the  Engineer  Sahib  there  about 
plans  for  our  new  school  house.  Plenty  of 
rain  and  heat  here  now. 

July  20.— The  "All  India  Sunday  School 
Examination "  was  today.  There  were  30 
written  papers  in  our  Sunday  School,  and  at 
least  60  who  took  the  catechism  examination. 

August  28. — In  the  woman's  prayer  meeting 
today  we  read  Col.,  3rd  chapter,  and  talked 
of  what  the  Christian's  mind  should  be. 

August  29. — I  have  heard  of  the  marriage 


20  Dr.  IV.  E.  Witter. 

of  another  niece — Mr.  John  A.  Lambrecht 
and  Miss  Jessie  A.  McKenna  were  married  in 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  on  October  16,  1912. 

We  also  rejoice  to  know  Dr.  W.  E.  Witter 
and  Mrs.  Mary  F.  Barss  were  married  August 
17,  1912,  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

September  7. — Pitt  saw  me  off  on  the  little 
feeder  steamer  this  morning,  as  it  seems  best 
for  me  to  take  a  year  off  duty,  and  try  to  get 
rid  of  my  rheumatic  pains  and  built  up  for 
future  work.  I  will  proceed  to  Calcutta,  and 
hope  to  sail  by  the  20th  of  September,  and 
should  reach  Clara's  home  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
by  the  7th  of  November.  I  am  so  sorry  to 
leave  Pitt  while  he  is  building  the  new  school 
house  in  Nowgong. 

September  8. — I  reached  Gauhati  by  noon 
and  left  on  the  Brahmaputra  River  steamer 
at  6  P.  M. 

September  12. — I  came  by  a  day  train  from 
Goalundo,  and  reached  Calcutta  at  5  P.  M., 
and  went  to  Mrs.  D.  H.  Lees,  13  Wellington 
Square. 

September  14. — At  Cook's  office  they  tell 
me  I  can  sail  by  the  20th  of  September  on 


Miss  Crisenberry.  21 

steamship  "  City  of  Karachi."  I  go  at  my 
own  expense  this  time,  as  our  furlough  is  not 
yet  due. 

September  15. — I  went  with  Mrs.  Lee  to 
the  Thoburn  Methodist  Church.  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  D.  H.  Lee  lost  their  six  children  in  the 
landslide  at  Darjeeling  on  September  24,  1899. 
Their  home  and  school,  the  "  Lee  Memorial," 
in  Calcutta,  was  built  by  money  given  by 
friends,  as  a  memorial  to  the  children.  Now 
the  bereaved  parents  are  doing  all  they  can 
to  give  the  Gospel  to  the  Bengali  boys  and 
girls.  They  work  so  earnestly.  Four  of  our 
Nowgong  girls  are  being  trained  for  teachers  in 
this  school.  Calcutta  is  hot,  but  there  is  often 
a  sea  breeze.  One  evening  we  went  to  the 
Eden  gardens  to  hear  the  Scotch  band  play. 

September  21. — I  came  on  board  the 
steamer  at  3  p.  M.  yesterday.  I  understand 
a  party  of  40  missionaries  will  sail  from  Boston 
today.  Among  them  for  Assam  are  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  W.  E.  Witter,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Wm. 
Smith,  and  our  Miss  Edith  E.  Crisenberry. 
Dr.  Witter's  son  and  wife  will  go  to  Madras 
to  work  among  students.  We  hear  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  W.  Dring,  Rev.  Walter  C.  Mason,  and 


22  Suez. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  O.  L.  Swanson  will  soon  return 
to  Assam. 

October  1. — My  first  thoughts  this  morning 
were  of  Pitt,  and  my  prayer  is — that  God  will 
give  him  grace  and  strength  equal  to  the  needs 
of  each  day.  I  find  plenty  of  reading  on  the 
steamer,  and  also  do  a  little  sewing  and  writing. 

October  6. — We  have  reached  the  Red  Sea, 
and  it  will  get  cooler  as  we  go  north.  About 
four  days  to  the  Suez  Canal  now,  and  then 
one  more  day  to  Port  Said. 

October  10. — We  reached  Suez  last  even- 
ing, and  stopped  to  take  on  a  pilot  and  the 
electric  searchlight.  A  doctor  came  on  board 
to  look  at  the  passengers.  We  were  only  16 
hours  in  the  Suez  Canal.  We  stopped  at  Port 
Said  from  noon  until  7  p.  M.  to  coal. 

October  14. — We  spent  a  pleasant  three 
hours  at  Malta.  I  bought  a  small  Maltese  lace 
handkerchief  in  order  to  get  a  gold  sovereign 
changed  into  English  shillings.  Malta  is  an 
interesting  old  place,  with  the  grey  buildings 
on  high  ground.  We  are  due  at  Gibraltar  at 
midnight  on  Thursday  and  should  reach  Lon- 
don on  the  23rd  inst. 


London.  23 

October  23. — I  landed  today  in  London  at 
10  A.  M.  Mr.  Bride's  son  met  me,  and  helped 
me  get  through  the  customs.  At  Mr.  A.  J. 
Bride's  office  I  found  he  has  arranged  for  me 
to  sail  October  26,  on  the  steamship  "  Laco- 
nia  "  of  the  "  Cunard  Line,"  due  in  New  York 
on  the  4th  of  November. 

November  5. — Yesterday  noon  I  landed  in 
New  York  City  and  was  met  by  Bro.  Orson 
W.  Moore.  He  helped  me  get  to  the  New 
York  Central  depot,  where  I  took  the  4  p.  M> 
train  for  Albany. 

November  6. — I  am  spending  a  day  with 
my  brothers  and  sisters,  and  then  go  on  to 
Clara's  home  in  Rochester.  I  learned  this, 
morning  that  Woodrow  Wilson  is  elected 
President  of  U.  S.  America.  I  took  the  noon 
train  for  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

November  11. — My  55th  birthday.  How 
lovely  to  be  here  today  in  Clara's  home.  If 
only  Pitt  could  also  come  now.  Little  Robert 
said,  "  Happy  birthday  grandma,"  the  first 
thing  this  morning.  Later  a  good  letter  came 
from  Pitt. 

November  15.— Roland's  father  is  60  years 
old  today.  Mother  Harris  and  I  went  to  see 


24  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

the  flower  show  at  Convention  Hall.  Such 
lovely  roses  and  chrysanthemums.  Sunday  I 
went  to  hear  Dr.  R.  M.  West  preach  at  the 
Park  Avenue  Baptist  Church.  The  weather 
is  not  very  cold  yet.  I  go  to  walk  every  day 
about  11  A.  M.  Clara  has  such  a  pleasant 
home,  and  looks  so  well  and  happy.  I  have  a 
pretty  room,  and  love  to  hold  Baby  Gordon. 
He  has  his  first  tooth.  Pitt's  letter  of  October 
20  says  Mr.  Pettigrew  has  gone  on  furlough. 
Pitt  wrote  that  Dr.  and  Mrs.  M.  C.  Mason 
will  go  on  furlough  in  the  spring.  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Carvell  will  soon  go  to  England,  as  their 
Douglas  boy  is  ill.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Smith 
will  go  to  Impur,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witter 
will  work  among  students  in  Gauhati. 

November  28. — Thanksgiving  Day,  and 
Clara  has  the  turkey  cooking.  We  are  truly 
thankful  for  health,  and  all  the  good  gifts 
from  our  loving  Heavenly  Father.  Pitt  is  in 
my  thoughts  constantly  today,  and  I  know 
God  will  bless  him.  We  praise  God  for  His 
goodness  and  mercy.  The  Assam  Missionary 
Conference  will  be  held  in  Gauhati,  Assam, 
January  18  to  25. 

December   5. — News  has  just  come  that 


Birthday.  25 

little  Morris  Oilman  Fox  arrived  at  Ukhrul, 
Assam,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1912. 

Yesterday  (December  4)  was  dear  Pitt's 
59th  birthday.  We  thought  of  him,  and  wished 
he  were  here  with  us.  Today  his  letter  of 
November  5  came,  and  he  reported  a  visit  from 
Mr.  Jackman  of  Sadiya.  There  are  now  620 
church  members  in  the  Nowgong  District. 
There  were  77  baptisms  during  1912. 

December  26. — We  had  a  merry  Christmas 
with  a  tree  for  the  children.  I  received  no  end 
of  presents,  and  a  good  letter  from  Pitt.  Ro- 
land's parents  spent  the  day  with  us,  and 
brought  most  of  the  dinner.  Robert  received 
a  sled,  mittens,  books  and  toys.  I  received 
lovely  brown  dress  goods  from  Clara. 

I  hear  Miss  Edith  E.  Crisenberry  reached 
Nowgong  safely  on  the  3rd  of  December,  1912. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  paid  a  flying  visit  to  Now- 
gong, and  then  went  to  see  Jorhat  and  Sibsagar 
before  Conference. 


Ill 

Missionary  Conference  in  Assam,  1913 

January  1,  1913. — Such  a  bright,  lovely 
day  here  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  Roland's  parents 
were  here  to  dinner.  Robert  and  Gordon  are 
very  happy.  Pitt  wrote  that  Herbert  Reeves 
Kirby  of  Sadiya,  Assam,  arrived  on  the  25th 
of  November,  1912. 

January  15. — Pitt's  letter  of  December  15 
says  Miss  Doe  passed  successfully  her  first 
examination  in  Assamese.  Also  that  the  steel 
frame  of  our  new  school  house  is  up. 

January  16. — Just  33  years  ago  today  Pitt 
and  I  reached  Nowgong.  Happy  years  together 
our  kind  Father  has  given  us.  Looking  back 
the  years  seem  very  short. 

January  21. — News  from  Nowgong  says 
that  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  F.  Tanquist  and  Donald 
(20  months  old)  were  in  Nowgong  to  spend 
Christmas  and  New  Years.  They  will  attend 
Conference  in  Gauhati,  and  then  go  to  work 
in  Kohima. 

January  23. — Last  evening  Clara  and  I 
attended  the  "  Baptist  Rally  "  at  the  Second 

26 


Gauhati  Conference.  27 

Baptist  Church,  and  heard  addresses  by  Dr. 
W.  T.  Stackhouse  and  Henry  Bond.  The 
latter  address  closed  with  these  words — "  I 
want  you  all  to  get  the  vision  of  the  Christ 
and  the  enduring  love  in  your  hearts." 

February  5. — Pitt  wrote  from  Gauhati, 
Assam — "  Here  I  am  in  a  tent  at  Conference 
(Twelfth  Session,  January  4  to  12,  1913). 
There  are  ten  tents  on  the  mission  compound 
and  some  straw  '  bashas.'  Most  of  the  Assam 
missionaries  have  come  and  four  visitors. 
From  the  Telugu  field  Rev.  W.  Boggess,  from 
the  '  Bengal-Orissa  Mission '  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
A.  L.  Kennan,  from  Rangoon,  Burma,  Miss 
F.  Peter,  and  Rev.  R.  Burges  of  '  India  Sunday 
School  Union.' ;' 

See  Dr.  Witter's  Report  of  Conference. 

THE  ASSAM  MISSION  CONFERENCE 
By  Rev.  W.  E.  WITTER,  D.  D. 

The  twelfth  session  of  the  Assam  Mission 
Conference  held  January  4  to  13,  1913,  in 
wide-awake  Gauhati  on  the  beautiful  mission 
compound  facing  the  great  Brahmaputra  River 
and  the  snow-capped  Himalayas  beyond  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  any  of  those  present 


28  Assam. 

except  some  of  the  children  not  old  enough  to 
mark  great  historical  events.  The  findings  of 
this  Conference  of  1913  are  sure  to  cause  the 
Board  of  Managers  in  their  sessions  in  Boston 
and  the  entire  Baptist  constituency  at  home, 
let  us  hope,  to  sit  up  and  take  notice  that 
Assam  is  coming  to  the  front  in  wise  and 
aggressive  plans  and  demands  for  the  meeting 
of  unquestionably  rare  opportunities. 

Gauhati  itself,  centrally  located,  with  its 
splendid  Cotton  College,  the  success  of  which 
under  the  wise  principalship  of  Professor  Sub- 
merdon  has  had  an  amazing  growth,  its  stu- 
dents aiming  for  B.  A.  and  M.  A.  degrees  to 
number  next  year  about  400 ;  its  splendid  high 
schools,  both  government  and  private,  its 
Catholic  school  for  girls  just  on  the  eve  of  estab- 
lishment, its  work  religiously  for  the  student 
class  by  two  men,  one  Catholic  and  the  other 
Protestant — the  writer — who  was  welcomed  with 
Mrs.  Witter,  by  1 10  of  the  college  students  here 
on  the  mission  compound  a  few  days  before  the 
Conference;  the  oppressively  urgent  oppor- 
tunity for  an  immediate  great  advance  by  our 
Woman's  Board  for  work  for  women,  all  these 
in  addition  to  the  immense  evangelistic  work 
now  open  as  never  before  on  both  banks  of  the 


General  Secretary.  29 

Brahmaputra  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Gauhati  and  extending  far  inland  are  clarion 
calls  for  men  and  women  and  money  to  be 
lavishly  invested  in  work,  the  results  of  which, 
if  properly  conducted,  stagger  the  imagination 
of  any  far-seeing  prophet  of  the  days  that  are 
to  be.  IF?  Come,  come  and  see  the  oppor- 
tunities staring  us  out  of  countenance  which- 
ever way  we  look,  East,  West,  North  or  South, 
at  our  doors,  miles  in  the  distance  and  all  the 
space  between! 

The  unanimous,  enthusiastic,  urgent  call  of 
sane,  conservative,  aggressive  Rev.  A.  J.  Tuttle 
of  Gauhati  to  become  unifying  agent — General 
Secretary  and  Treasurer— of  the  whole  mission 
— subject  of  course  to  the  approval  of  the  Home 
Board — was  a  move  forward  over  which  there 
was  great  rejoicing.  The  entire  mission  recog- 
nized the  great  and  immediate  need  of  such 
secretarial  oversight  and  unification,  and  is  for- 
tunate in  having  on  the  field,  among  its  trusted 
and  beloved  missionaries  one  evidently  so  well 
qualified  for  such  a  delicate  but  worthy  task. 
It  is  due  our  brother  Secretary-to-be  to  say 
that  his  favorable  response  was  given  only  after 
much  prayer  and  a  most  reluctant  surrendering 
of  long-cherished  hopes  of  work  on  the  north 


3O  Needs. 

bank  of  the  Brahmaputra  which  now  seemed 
about  to  be  realized.  Another  mission  family 
should  be  on  the  way  out  from  America  next 
autumn  to  be  in  earliest  possible  preparation 
for  this  work  now  so  full  of  promise. 

The  needs  of  the  Assam  Mission  as  brought 
out  in  the  Conference  can  only  be  mentioned 
in  part  in  this  brief  resume.  Besides  the  mis- 
sion family  mentioned  above,  another  mission 
bungalow  is  needed  at  Gauhati,  four  families 
now  being  housed  in  two  bungalows;  a  third 
family  and  bungalow  for  the  Mission  Schools, — 
High,  Industrial  and  Bible — at  Jorhat;  two 
young  ladies  and  bungalow  for  Impur  among 
the  Ao  and  Lhota  Nagas;  and  a  family  and 
bungalow  at  Ukhrul,  among  the  Tangkhul 
Nagas,  where  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Fox  are  holding 
the  fort  alone,  far  removed  from  other  mis- 
sionary or  European  residents ;  a  physician  with 
educational  qualifications,  if  possible,  for  the 
remarkable  openings  in  the  Sadiya  field;  a 
family  and  two  mission  bungalows  for  Now- 
gong;  two  families  and  two  mission  bungalows 
for  North  Lakhimpur  and  Bisnath  fields  where 
the  long,  steady  preaching  and  living  of  the 
Gospel  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  John  Firth  have 
yielded  rich  fruits  of  opportunity;  the  strength- 


Forty -nine  Missionaries.  31 

ening  of  the  mission  force  at  Tura  owing  to 
the  furloughs  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  and  Miss 
Holbrook,  and  the  normal  growth  of  the  educa- 
tional and  Bible  work  on  that  memorable  mis- 
sion field;  another  lady  missionary  at  Gauhati 
to  help  lay  the  foundations  of  the  proposed 
enlarged  work  for  women  and  girls,  and  hostel 
buildings  for  the  work  among  students  in  at- 
tendance upon  Cotton  College. 

All  the  missionaries  of  the  province  not  on 
furlough,  except  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rivenburg  and 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  Fox,  with  the  little  "  hindering 
helpers  " — one  in  each  of  these  two  homes — and 
Mrs.  Swanson  and  son  Paul  were  present  at  the 
Conference  in  number  49,  (or  60,  including 
children,)  and  all,  even  to  month-old  baby 
Kirby,  from  far-away  Sadiya,  contributing  his 
or  her  share  to  the  interest  of  the  occasion — not 
an  idle  or  disabled  one  in  the  entire  company. 

The  devotional  meetings  emphasized  from  the 
first  hour  to  the  last  the  thought,  "  By  this  shall 
all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye 
love  one  another,"  and  "  The  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  us." 

But  little  time  was  given  to  strictly  social 
intercourse.  There  were  too  many  pressing 
problems,  Indeed,  a  whole  day's  extra  sessions 


32  Seven  New  Missionaries, 

was  required  to  even  partially  complete  the 
work  in  hand,  and  then  it  was  found  necessary 
to  hold  over  some  carefully  prepared  papers  on 
vital  subjects  for  the  next  biennial  conference. 
The  time  spent,  however,  in  getting  better 
acquainted  with  one  another  was  a  happy  means 
of  learning  the  musical,  literary  and  social 
qualifications  of  a  number  of  the  company,  and 
of  binding  all  hearts  more  closely  in  the  bands 
of  at- the-ends-of - the-earth-brotherhood . 

The  presence  of  seven  new  missionaries,  the 
Smiths,  Tanquists,  Witters  and  Miss  Crisen- 
berry,  gave  stimulus  to  the  entire  body  to  keep 
praying  and  expecting  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
to  thrust  forth  more  laborers  into  this  needy 
mission  field  which  has  already  yielded  an 
almost  unprecedented  harvest  in  proportion  to 
the  investments  of  men  and  money. 

Our  fraternal  delegates,  Rev.  Wheeler  Bog- 
gess  of  the  South  India  Telugu  field,  and  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  A.  L.  Kennan  of  the  Orissa  Bengal 
mission,  were  splendid  representatives  of  their 
respective  missions,  and  a  great  help  to  the 
Conference  in  the  solution  of  some  of  its 
knottiest  problems.  Rev.  Thangkhan  and  wife, 
the  former  so  well  remembered  by  many  in 
America,  and  still  the  faithful,  humble,  elo- 


Female  Education.  33 

quent  evangelist  among  his  own  people  in  the 
Garo  Hills,  attended  the  trustees'  meeting  of 
the  Jorhat  schools  just  previous  to  the  Con- 
ference, and  remained  throughout  our  sessions 
for  his  own  benefit,  while  contributing  a  worthy 
share  in  our  deliberations. 

Assam  is  moving  toward  the  Light,  and  if 
the  members  of  the  great  Northern  Baptist 
Convention  in  America  will  lift  up  their  eyes 
and  behold  the  white  fields  of  this  fast  develop- 
ing province,  and  furnish  the  men  and  the 
means  necessary  for  tilling,  sowing  and  reap- 
ing, they  may  also  look  for  great  harvests 
of  souls. 

The  Nowgong  report  which  follows  has  a 
good  deal  to  say  of  our  Girl's  School. 

FEMALE  EDUCATION 

This  reinforcement  in  the  Woman's  Depart- 
ment had  been  in  accordance  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  our  Conference  in  1911,  for  the 
establishment  at  Nowgong  of  a  Training  School 
for  Teachers,  in  cooperation  with  Government 
in  the  work  of  female  education.  The  carrying 
out  of  that  plan  has  been  the  outstanding  feature 
of  the  work  of  the  whole  missionary  staff  at 
Nowgong  since  our  last  Conference. 


34  New  Schoolhouse. 

On  the  part  of  the  Government,  the  Public 
Works  Department  has  very  kindly  assisted  by 
drawing  plans  and  estimates  for  the  school- 
house,  which  is  to  have  nine  rooms  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  nine  classes  of  the  school. 

The  Government  has  paid  us  a  capital  grant 
of  Rs.  15,000  ($5,000)  to  aid  us  in  building  a 
suitable  plant  for  the  school,  and  the  Woman's 
Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  of  the  West 
has  contributed  their  quota  of  $2,500  for 
establishing  this  school. 

A  steel-framed  structure,  containing  nine 
rooms,  is  in  process  of  construction  on  our 
mission  compound.  The  Government  has 
promised  us  Rs.  2,000  and  the  Woman's 
Society  of  Chicago  Rs.  1,000  more  for  furnish- 
ing and  equipping  this  building  for  school 
purposes. 

At  present  about  170  pupils  are  enrolled  in 
the  seven  standards  of  the  school,  of  whom  150 
are  girls,  some  of  whom  are  from  the  Kamrup, 
Sibsagar,  Lakhimpur  and  Naga  Hills  Districts. 

Other  items  in  connection  with  the  plant  of 
the  girls'  school  have  been  the  completion  of 
our  enlarged  girls'  dormitory,  which  was  under 
construction  at  the  time  of  our  Conference  in 
1911,  and  the  building  of  an  annex  which  is 


Churches.  35 

the  gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Zandt  who 
became  interested  in  the  school,  and  whom 
God  led  to  supply  one  of  its  urgent  needs. 
When  the  new  school  house  and  teachers' 
quarters  are  completed  we  shall  be  commo- 
diously  equipped  to  do  some  of  the  educational 
work  for  girls,  which  is  so  urgently  needed 
in  Assam. 

CHURCHES 

The  eight  little  churches  in  the  Nowgong 
District  have  been  much  neglected  by  the 
writer,  whose  time  has  been  given  largely  to 
plans  and  correspondence  and  building  opera- 
tions and  committee  work  of  sorts.  The  most 
fruitful  part  of  the  district,  as  shown  by  the 
number  of  baptisms  during  1911  and  1912,  has 
been  that  cultivated  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Penn 
E.  Moore  among  the  Mikirs.  The  church 
statistics  report  88  baptisms  in  1911  and  77 
in  1912,  of  which  44  in  1911  and  43  in  1912 
were  administered  by  Rev.  Penn  E.  Moore  in 
his  portion  of  the  district.  We  greatly  rejoice 
in  this  ingathering  among  the  Mikirs  as  the 
early  fruit  of  many  years  of  faithful  seed-sowing. 
A  hopeful  feature  in  this  connection  is  the  fact 
that  a  number  of  Mikir  women  have  been  bap- 
tized; so  that  there  are  now  Mikir  Christian 


36  Literary  Work. 

families  and  not  merely  isolated  Christian  indi- 
viduals, as  was  so  largely  the  case  among  the 
Mikirs  till  very  recently. 

VILLAGE  SCHOOLS 

About.  20  village  schools,  which  are  sup- 
ported largely  by  Government  grant  of  Rs. 
1,590  a  year,  are  at  present  superintended  by 
our  missionaries  in  this  district.  Nearly  half 
of  these  are  among  the  Mikirs  and  several  of 
them  use  Mikir  text-books  and  have  only 
Mikir  pupils. 

LITERARY  WORK    . 

During  1911,  Mrs.  P.  H.  Moore  saw  through 
the  press  a  revised  edition  of  1,500  copies  of 
"  Line  Upon  Line,"  part  II,  in  Assamese.  In 
1912,  a  revised  copy  of  part  III  of  the  same 
little  book  was  sent  to  the  press  and  proof- 
reading for  it  is  nearly  finished  at  this  writing, 
and  1,500  copies  should  issue  from  the  press 
early  in  1913. 

The  Calcutta  branch  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  is  printing  an  edition 
of  the  Assamese  New  Testament,  and  of 
Gospel  portions  as  the  A.  B.  F.  M.  S.  did  not 
see  its  way  to  meet  the  cost  of  reprinting  these 


Chief  Commissioner.  37 

Scriptures  and  the  stock  of  our  own  version 
is  exhausted. 

It  is  a  matter  of  deep  regret  that  the  plans 
of  the  Assamese  branch  of  the  Christian 
Literature  Committee,  for  a  more  adequate 
supply  of  up-to-date  tracts  in  Assamese,  could 
not  yet  be  carried  out.  The  per  cent  of  people 
who  can  read  Assamese  is  constantly  increasing 
and  there  is  a  growing  readiness  to  read  Chris- 
tian books.  But  we  have  neither  the  money 
nor  the  literary  writers  that  are  needed  to 
utilize  the  press  to  any  adequate  degree  for 
the  propagation  of  the  Truth. 

February  24.— Pitt's  letter  told  of  the  Chief 
Commissioner's  visit  to  Nowgong.  The  C.  C. 
and  Lady  Earle  went  to  see  our  Girls'  School. 
The  lady  missionaries  had  prepared  a  short 
program  of  songs  and  drills  for  the  girls  to 
carry  out  in  their  presence.  They  seemed 
pleased  and  took  a  look  at  the  new  school 
buildings.  Miss  Doe  told  of  the  need  of  a 
piano  for  the  school,  and  the  next  day  the 
C.  C.  informed  her  that  she  should  have 
1,000  rupees  to  buy  the  piano  for  the  school. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witter  spent  a  few  days  in 
Nowgong,  and  Pitt  and  Dr.  Witter  had  a  good 


38  Baptisms. 

opportunity  to  talk  over  the  problems  in  the 
Assam  Mission. 

February  28. — Clara  and  I  attended  the 
"  Interdenominational  Day  of  Prayer "  ser- 
vice at  the  First  Baptist  Church.  Clara  spoke 
ten  minutes  on  "  Porto  Rico."  There  were 
50  ladies  present. 

March  4. — The  inauguration  of  Woodrow 
Wilson  is  today.  The  weather  is  fairly  good 
for  the  procession  of  30,000  in  Washington. 

March  5. — A  letter  from  Pitt  tells  of  five 
baptisms.  The  "Annual  Association  "  was  to 
meet  at  Tika  March  1  to  4  inclusive.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Witter  will  go  to  Jorhat  to  help  in  the 
school  work  there. 

March  8,  1913. — Clara  has  had  a  happy 
birthday,  with  several  surprises  in  the  shape  of 
presents.  She  was  with  us  in  Assam  nine 
years  ago  today.  Grandpa  and  grandma  Harris 
came  to  dinner  and  brought  a  chicken  and  a 
birthday  cake. 

April  23.— Easter  Sunday.  Dr.  R.  M. 
West  preached  a  good  sermon  on  "  Personal 
Immortality." 

April  2. — I  left  Rochester  for  Averill  Park. 


Dr.  Clark's  Death.  39 

I  reached  Troy  at  3  p.  M.,  and  then  took  the 
electric  car  to  Averill  Park.  I  want  to  have 
three  months  here  in  the  old  home  with  Bro. 
Charlie  Traver  and  wife.  It  is  now  three 
years  since  dear  mother  left  us  for  her  Heavenly 
Home. 

April  9. — Yesterday  the  "  Watchman  "  of 
April  3,  told  us  of  the  death  of  Rev.  E.  W. 
Clark,  D.  D.,  on  the  18th  of  March,  1913,  at 
the  ripe  age  of  83.  He  was  buried  in  Amenia, 
N.  Y.  His  wife  was  with  him  in  St.  Augustine, 
Fla.,  where  he  died.  Dr.  Clark  laboured  40 
years  in  Assam,  mostly  among  the  Nagas. 

Word  has  come  of  the  sudden  death  of  Mrs. 
C.  E.  Petrick  from  heart  failure.  Her  end  was 
so  beautiful.  She  went  to  sleep  on  earth,  and 
awoke  in  heaven.  Mrs.  Petrick  died  on  the 
24th  of  February,  1913,  in  Sibsagar,  Assam. 

April  24. — Bro.  Alvah  Traver  and  family, 
and  Sister  Mame  McKenna  often  come  out 
from  Albany,  N.  Y.  Bro.  Alvah  brings  them 
out  in  his  auto,  and  after  an  hour  or  so  they 
return. 

Pitt's  letters  tell  of  the  building  of  the  new 
school  house.  Pitt  finds  himself  busy  trying 
to  keep  the  workmen  going  and  keeping  ac- 


4O  S.S.  "  Manretania." 

counts,  etc.  A  small  photo  of  Pitt  wearing 
his  "  Durbar  medal  "  has  come.  Some  sick- 
ness among  the  girls  in  our  boarding  school 
has  kept  the  missionaries  busy.  Green  fruit, 
especially  mangoes,  are  a  great  temptation  to 
the  children.  Such  is  life  on  a  mission  com- 
pound. 

May  10. — I  have  just  learned  that  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Mason  sailed  from  Calcutta  on 
March  13,  and  must  now  be  nearing  New 
York.  Miss  Linnie  Holbrook  sailed  on  the 
18th  of  March  and  is  coming  via  the  Pacific. 

May  24. — Bro.  Orson  W.  Moore  and  I  have 
been  corresponding  about  steamers,  and  he  has 
booked  me  to  sail  on  July  2,  by  the  Cunard 
steamship  "  Mauretania."  I  shall  be  so  happy 
to  start  back  to  India. 

June  2. — This  is  little  Gordon's  birthday. 
He  will  have  a  little  sponge  cake  with  one 
pink  candle  on  it. 

June  8. — Dear  Aunt  Gussie  Howard  came, 
and  we  talked  for  two  days.  She  is  just  fine, 
and  so  cheerful  and  happy.  She  keeps  track 
of  every  member  of  the  Traver  family.  She 
and  Uncle  Harvey  R.  Traver  are  the  only 
ones  left  of  my  father's  family. 


Wedding  Anniversary.  41 

June  29. — I  left  Bro.  Charlie's  home  today 
after  a  lovely  three-months'  stay,  and  went  to 
Troy  to  see  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Young,  an  old 
friend.  I  then  went  to  my  brother's  home  in 
Albany,  and  later  took  the  2  p.  M.  train  for 
New  York,  where  Bro.  Orson  W.  Moore  met  me. 

July  1. — At  8  P.  M.  Orson  kindly  took  me 
to  the  steamer  "  Mauretania." 

July  2. — The  steamer  started  about  2  A.  M. 
and  it  was  too  warm  and  noisy  to  sleep  much 
last  night. 

July  3. — This  is  a  fine,  big  steamer,  and  so 
steady,  although  we  run  550  miles  per  day. 
There  are  3,000  souls  on  board  including  the 
ship's  crew. 

July  6. — Sunday.  There  was  Divine  Ser- 
vice morning  and  evening.  I  find  many  pleas- 
ant passengers,  among  them  a  young  man  who 
is  trying  to  go  around  the  world  in  35  days. 

July  8. — Our  34th  wedding  anniversary,  and 
I  am  delighted  to  be  on  my  way  back  to  my 
good  husband,  and  our  home  and  work  in 
Nowgong.  I  landed  in  Liverpool  at  8  A.  M. 
this  morning,  and  took  the  London  express 
at  8:45  A.  M.  and  by  1  p.  M.  I  was  at  the  "  For- 
eign Missions  Club." 


42  Port  Said. 

Our  agent,  A.  J.  Bride,  has  purchased  my 
steamer  ticket,  and  I  am  to  sail  July  12,  on 
the  B.-I.  steamer  "  Neuralia."  God  is  good, 
and  He  helps  and  cares  for  me  each  step  of 
the  way. 

July  15. — My  stay  of  three  days  in  London 
was  most  pleasant.  On  the  12th  inst.  I  sailed 
on  this  fine  steamer — "  Neuralia."  I  have  a 
large,  airy  cabin  with  an  electric  fan  in  it. 
It  seems  like  getting  home  to  have  the  Indian 
"  boys  "  as  servants,  and  the  food  is  good.  I 
seem  to  feel  that  some  one  is  praying  for  me. 
This  steamer  will  call  at  Marseilles,  Port  Said, 
Suez,  Aden,  Colombo  (Ceylon),  Madras  and 
Calcutta.  Yesterday's  run  was  327  miles. 
There  are  only  25  first  class  passengers. 

July  22. — On  Sunday  we  went  between 
Corsica  and  Sardinia,  and  yesterday  through 
the  Straits  of  Messina.  The  terraced  hills  of 
Italy  and  Sicily  with  their  vineyards  and 
orchards  looked  very  green  and  pretty.  To- 
day we  go  near  the  Island  of  Crete,  where  the 
winds  blow  softly. 

July  24. — Port  Said  was  reached  at  10  A.  M. 
and  the  usual  coaling  began.     At  4  p.  M.  we* 
started  gaily  through  the  Suez  Canal,  but  soon 


Madras.  43 

had  to  tie  up  and  stop  all  night  because  a 
steamer  in  front  of  us  was  aground. 

July  25. — The  glare  in  the  canal  is  trying. 
We  arrived  at  Suez  at  9  p.  M.  and  after  a  stop  of 
three  hours  we  were  off  again.  We  must  now 
be  near  where  the  Israelites  crossed  the  Red  Sea. 

July  30. — We  are  stopping  at  Aden  for  a 
few  hours.  A  good  letter  came  from  Pitt. 
I  am  so  pleased  to  hear  from  him  at  each 
port,  where  the  steamer  calls. 

August  6.— This  is  little  Robert's  4th  birth- 
day, and  we  are  calling  at  Colombo  (Ceylon). 

August  12. — It  is  just  one  month  today 
since  I  sailed  from  London.  The  "  Neuralia  " 
is  to  land  her  passengers  in  Calcutta  tomorrow, 
and  then  in  about  five  days  I  hope  to  be  with 
my  good  husband  in  Nowgong,  Assam,  India. 

I  had  a  very  pleasant  time  in  Madras.  At 
4  P.  M.  last  Saturday  Miss  Bessie  Harvey 
(the  poet)  and  Dr.  (Miss)  Gerow  came  to  the 
steamer  for  me.  I  went  with  them  and  stayed 
over  night  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  L.  Ferguson. 
While  there  Messrs.  Manley  and  Elmore  called. 
The  Fergusons  were  having  their  Saturday 
evening  "  Social  "  for  native  students.  There 
were  80  boys,  of  all  castes  and  ages.  After 


44  Calcutta. 

games,  refreshments,  music,  etc.,  they  joined 
in  singing  a  Christian  hymn,  and  Dr.  Ferguson 
prayed. 

August  13. — At  2  P.  M.  I  landed  in  Calcutta. 
Rev.  D.  H.  Lee  very  kindly  met  me  at  the 
steamer.  At  9:30  p.  M.  I  took  the  train  from 
Sealdah  station  for  Goalundo. 

August  14. — I  am  now  on  the  river  steamer, 
bound  for  Gauhati,  Assam. 

August  18. — The  steamer  was  slow,  and  I 
did  not  get  landed  in  Gauhati  until  11  p.  M. 
last  night,  and  Miss  Wilson  gave  me  a  hearty 
welcome.  I  took  the  9  A.  M.  train  for  Kampur, 
where  I  arrived  at  2  p.  M.  and  found  two  cov- 
ered bullock  carts  waiting  for  me.  Ten  hours 
in  the  slow-going  bullock  carts  (2  miles  per 
hour)  brought  me  home  at  just  15  minutes 
before  midnight.  Oh!  the  joy  of  being  here 
again  with  Pitt.  He  seems  well  except  a  bit 
washed  out  from  heat  and  work. 

September  5. — I  have  been  here  now  for 
over  two  weeks,  and  feel  as  if  I  had  not  been 
away  at  all.  I  have  done  a  bit  of  cleaning, 
mending,  writing,  reading,  calling,  etc.  As 
soon  as  it  is  a  bit  cooler  I  want  to  go  about 
the  station  more  and  look  up  old  friends 


Nowgong.  45 

among  the  native  women  and  children,  and  tell 
over  to  them  again  of  God's  love  to  them  in 
Christ  Jesus.  There  is  joy  in  this  work  in  the 
Assamese  language.  Miss  Doe  returned  from 
Darjeeling  on  the  3rd  of  September.  The 
home  mail  this  week  brought  the  welcome  news 
of  the  birth  of  Charles  Alvah  Calder  on  the 
29th  of  July,  1913. 

September  11. — Miss  Crisenberry  is  leav- 
ing for  Darjeeling,  to  rest  one  month  in  the 
cool  hill  station. 

October  17. — Pitt  has  been  to  Jorgat  to 
attend  the  Annual  Committee  on  the  Christian 
schools  there. 

News  has  come  from  Impur  that  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Bailey  have  a  new  son,  Howard  Hutchison 
Bailey,  born  on  the  5th  of  October,  1913. 

Miss  Long  has  been  spending  her  vacation 
at  Ukhrul  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox.  They  are 
all  coming  down  the  hills  together  to  Nowgong. 

I  have  just  learned  that  Miss  Flora  Dring 
has  become  Mrs.  Glenn  O.  Brown  of  Kansas 
City,  Mo. 

November  6. — Pitt  has  gone  to  Golaghat 
this  week  to  meet  the  members  of  the  "  Refer- 
ence Committee."  The  good  news  has  come 


46  "Reference  Committee." 

from  America  that  my  brother,  Rev.  Rufus  M. 
Traver,  is  making  a  world  tour  of  five  months. 
We  hope  he  will  take  in  Assam,  and  visit  us. 

November.  11 — My  56th  birthday.  Such 
nice  presents  from  the  lady  missionaries,  and 
a  good  letter  from  Clara,  and  I  expect  Pitt 
home  this  evening.  I  am  so  glad  to  be  here. 
How  much  we  have  for  which  to  be  thankful. 
Rev.  U.  M.  Fox  arrived  today,  and  told  us 
this  is  his  birthday.  Miss  Long  gave  a  birth- 
day "  tea  "  on  the  lawn. 

November  12. — Pitt  decided  to  go  to  Jorhat 
with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witter,  and  will  not  get 
home  until  Thursday.  Word  has  come  that 
my  niece,  Jessie  Lambrecht,  has  a  little  son, 
Howard  John  Lambrecht,  born  on  the  15th  of 
September,  1913. 

November  14. — Pitt  came  home  last  even- 
ing. He  is  now  on  the  "  Reference  Committee  " 
again  and  also  on  the  "  Property  Committee." 

In  the  spring  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Harding  and 
Miss  Robb  of  Tura  will  go  home  on  furlough. 
Also  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Longwell  and  their  Geral- 
dine.  Rev.  S.  A.  D.  Boggs  has  just  returned 
from  his  furlough  in  America,  and  will  resume 
his  work  at  Jorhat,  Assam. 


Letter  to  Clara.  47 

November  22. — Both  Miss  Holmes  and 
Miss  Doe  have  passed  successfully  all  the  tests 
of  their  second  examination  in  Assamese.  I 
will  copy  a  recent  letter  of  Pitt's — 

Nowgong,  Assam, 
November  15,  1913. 

My  dear  Clara,  Roland,  Robert  and  Gordon : 

A  Merry  Christmas  and  Happy  New  Year 
for  you  all.  By  the  time  this  letter  can  reach 
America  the  festive  season  will  be  near  at 
hand.  May  it  bring  peace  and  uplifting  bles- 
sings to  you  all. 

We  are  sending  a  little  present  in  money 
as  a  token  of  remembrance,  and  of  the  love 
that  is  always  in  our  hearts,  but  which  it  is 
difficult  to  express  in  words.  Occasionally 
when  the  press  of  work  demanding  immediate 
attention  relaxes  for  an  hour,  I  realize  some- 
thing of  the  different  lives  we  live  on  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  globe,  and  the  different 
moulds  in  which  our  thoughts  are  shaped,  and 
how  little  we  have  of  the  interchange  of  views 
and  experiences  which  would  give  joy  to  all 
our  lives.  Yet  this  sense  of  separation  brings 
with  it  no  sense  of  estrangement;  for  we  are 
one  in  aim,  and  the  goal  of  our  lives  is  the 
same, — even  the  peace  and  good  will  to  men, 
which  the  glad  Christmas  season  recalls  to 


48  Fellowship  with  Missionaries. 

fresh  remembrance  year  by  year.  Such  may 
it  be  to  you  all. 

We  are  always  glad  of  your  letters,  and  of 
the  insight  into  your  home  life  that  we  get 
from  them.  It  would  also  be  a  pleasure  for 
me  to  write  you  oftener  than  I  do.  But  Clara 
knows  something  of  the  many  calls  that  con- 
sume my  time.  During  the  past  few  weeks 
I  have  been  twice  to  Jorhat  and  Golaghat  on 
committee  work.  This  seems  to  become  more 
and  more  exacting,  and  its  demands  on  time 
and  thought  are  increasing,  as  the  work  of  the 
mission  is  becoming  more  fully  organized.  We 
missionaries  deeply  regret  that  so  much  of  our 
time  and  strength  must  go  into  the  work  of 
these  committees.  Yet  it  all  seems  necessary 
to  link  us  up  with  the  highly  organized  work 
of  our  society  in  America,  and  that  of  the 
"  Northern  Baptist  Convention." 

On  my  recent  trips  to  Jorhat  and  Golaghat 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Witter  (who  are  helping  in  the  school  work  at 
Jorhat  this  year).  Also  Mr.  Carvell,  Mr. 
Tuttle,  Mr.  Dring  and  Mr.  Walter  Mason. 
The  fellowship  with  missionaries  is  both  pleas- 
ure and  profit ;  and  in  part  compensates  for  the 
time  given  to  committee  work,  but  which  has 
to  be  taken  from  the  work  of  one's  own  field. 
I  must  close  now  with  very  much  love  for 
you  each  and  all.  Affectionately, 

Signed  (P.  H.  Moore).  PAPA. 


REV.  AND  MRS.  P.  H.  MOORE. 


Pitt's  6oth  Birthday.  49 

November  23. — I  have  just  received  a 
wedding  announcement  from  Upton,  Mass. 
Bro.  Ed's  daughter,  Ruth  Marion  Traver,  was 
married  to  Carl  Daniel  Brown  on  October  16, 
1913. 

November  27. — Thanksgiving  Day  in  Amer- 
ica. We  have  tried  to  make  it  such  a  day  here. 
Misses  Crisenberry,  Doe  and  Long  gave  a  nice 
dinner.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  are  in  Nowgong 
for  a  few  weeks.  After  dinner  Pitt  read  Psalms 
149  and  150,  and  led  in  prayer.  We  are  truly 
thankful  to  our  Father  for  all  His  mercies. 

December  4. — This  is  dear  Pitt's  60th 
birthday.  He  is  holding  his  own  very  well. 
We  are  so  glad  to  be  together  here  in  the  good 
work.  Health  for  service  here  in  this  needy 
field  we  consider  a  great  blessing  from  our 
Heavenly  Father.  Such  a  shower  of  lovely 
birthday  cards  and  letters  came  for  Pitt  from 
our  Assam  missionaries.  We  pray  for  more 
years  to  work  here.  An  Assamese  letter  from 
a  native  teacher  (Boka)  was  appreciated. 

Dr.  Phillips  of  Tura  wrote —  "  I  am  reminded 
that  you  are  just  reaching  the  end  of  the  three 
score  years.  The  Assam  Jubilee  volume  tells  me 
that  in  Akyab,  Arracan,  Burma,  on  the  4th 


50  Dr.  Phillips'  Letter. 

of  December,  1853,  God  gave  to  loving  parents 
a  little  lad  who  in  his  good  providence  was 
destined  to  take  a  large  share  in  the  work  of 
establishing  his  kingdom  in  Assam.  We  thank 
God  today  for  sending  him,  and  for  keeping 
him  all  these  years  for  the  blessed  work.  We 
pray  for  him  many  more  years  of  increasing 
efficiency.  What  could  we  do  without  Bro. 
P.  H.  Moore.  Bro.  Moore  has  been  nominally 
designated  to  the  work  in  Nowgong,  but  he 
has  been  used  more  for  Assam  in  general  than 
for  Nowgong  in  particular.  We  men  and 
women  have  a  habit  of  piling  loads  onto  the 
shoulders  of  a  man  who  is  able,  and  also  willing 
to  take  them,  until  he  has  to  neglect  some  of 
his  own  special  burdens,  and  in  this  I  fear 
there  is  sometimes  seeming  if  not  real  selfish- 
ness. If  one  is  more  than  others  able,  we  take 
it  for  granted  that  he  will  take  such  burdens, 
more  than  his  average  share,  and  then  proceed 
to  forget  to  tell  him  that  we  are  grateful  to 
him  for  taking  them,  and  even  neglecting  his 
own  burdens  for  doing  so.  Well,  I  wish  to 
assure  Bro.  Moore  that  we  are  grateful,  though 
we  fail  to  say  so. 

To  help  Bro.  Moore  to  give  more  strength 
to  his  own  field,  I  wish  for  one  that  I  could 
take  my  own  share,  but  God  has  his  own 
plans,  and  it  is  he  who  distributes  the  loads, 
I  believe  that  in  the  not  far  off  future  we  shall 
all,  with  clearer  vision  look  upon  the  whole 


Birthday  Verses.  51 

work,   not  only  for  Assam,   or  Nowgong,   or 

Garo  Hills,  but  for  the  whole  Kingdom.     We 

may  see  God's  great  plans  as  we  cannot  now. 

Yours,  with  most  sincere  personal  regards," 

(Signed)  E.  G.  PHILLIPS. 

See  Dr.  Witter's  birthday  verses — 

Gauhati,  Assam. 
For  December  4,  1913. 
DEAR  PITT  : — 

You're  fit 
To  be  a  king. 
Your  praises  ring 
Throughout  this  land 
All  call  you  "GRAND." 
You're  getting  old, 
So  we  are  told. 
That  can't  be  true, 
For  I,  like  you, 
Through  years  three  score 
Have  walked  the  floor 
Of  this  old  world, 
Wrinkled,  and  curled 
So  out  of  joint 

At  many  a  point. 
I've  heard  you  say 
On  many  a  day, 
In  Boston  phrase 
Where  r's  so  laze, 
"Sullen  and  cold 
Is  this  old  'wold'." 
But  NOW  you  know 
That  is  not  so; 
But  all  is  bright. 
Since  friends  delight 
With  one  accord 
To  strike  the  chord 
Of  praise  so  loud, 
You  are  allowed 
Henceforth  to  say 

Prom  this  glad  day; — 


52  Missionary  Dinner. 

"I'll  nevermore  say  'Life's  a  bore', 
But  smile  away, 

Keep  young  and  gay; 
And  hence  declare, 
'It's  only  fair, 
When  friends  galore 
Such  'whoppers'  roar, 
To  all  believe, 

Laugh  in  my  sleeve, 
And  plod  along 
With  happy  song, 
Although  they  be 

So  fooled  in  me'." 
That's  right,  dear  Pitt, 
And  could  I  sit, 
By  you  tonight, 

I'd  say,  "They're  right, 
You're  all  and  more 
Than  what  they  score." 
Do  as  you  will, 
Good,  bad  or  ill, 
I  love  you  still. 
Your  Brother, 
Will. 

Miss  Long  is  touring  in  camp  to  visit  some 
government  village  schools  for  girls,  and  to 
tell  out  the  "  Good  News."  Miss  Crisenberry 
is  taking  her  first  examination  in  Assamese, 
and  doing  well.  She  will  speak  Assamese  very 
smoothly  and  prettily. 

December  9. — Last  evening  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fox,  Miss  Doe  and  Miss  Crisenberry  took 
dinner  with  us.  We  had  soup,  roast  beef, 
tapioca  pudding,  dates,  preserved  ginger  and 
oranges.  Good  letters  came  from  Clara,  and 
sister  Mame  McKenna. 


"  Judson  Centennial."  53 

December  10. — Today  the  meetings  of  the 
"  Judson  Centennial  "  begin  in  Burma.  They 
are  to  be  held  in  Rangoon,  Maulmein  and 
Mandalay.  Some  of  the  American  tourists 
may  come  to  Assam. 

December  13. — A  letter  has  come  from  Bro. 
Rufus  M.  Traver.  He  spent  5  days  in  Egypt, 
5  days  in  Palestine,  and  2  days  in  Ceylon. 
Then  across  to  South  India,  and  via  Tuticorin, 
Madura,  Nellore,  and  Madras  to  Calcutta. 
From  there  he  hurried  on  to  Rangoon  for  the 
"Judson  Centennial  Meetings."  He  still  has 
China  and  Japan  to  see,  and  has  only  5  months 
for  the  whole  tour.  A  friend  gave  him  the 
around- the- world  ticket.  We  should  so  like 
to  have  him  come  to  Assam.  The  Assam  rep- 
resentative to  Burma  is  Rev.  A.  J.  Tuttle. 

December  21. — Yesterday  and  today  are 
the  "  Days  of  Prayer  "  for  all  India.  A  wire 
from  Mr.  Tuttle  says  12  of  the  "Judson  Tour- 
ists" will  come  to  Assam.  Today  they  are  in 
Mandalay,  and  will  spend  Christmas  in  Bassein. 

Three  of  our  Nowgong  girls  have  returned 
from  Calcutta  and  will  teach  in  our  school. 
There  were  77  baptisms  in  Nowgong  District 
in  1913,  including  the  Mikirs  baptized. 


54  Christmas  Service. 

December  24. — A  wire  from  Bro.  Rufus 
says  he  is  not  well,  and  cannot  come  to  Now- 
gong  to  visit  us. 

December  25. — We  were  invited  to  dine  at 
Miss  Long's  bungalow,  and  then  we  all  attended 
the  Christmas  Service  at  the  Mission  Chapel. 
Some  Sunday  School  prizes  were  given  out, 
and  there  was  a  tree  for  the  school  girls,  with 
presents  of  work  bags,  handkerchiefs,  and  dolls. 
At  the  bungalow  there  was  a  little  missionary 
tree,  from  which  little  Morris  Fox  had  the  most 
presents.  Christmas  mail  from  America  came 
last  evening,  and  today  Miss  Long  received  a 
home  box. 


IV 

Twelve  "Judson  Tourists"  Visit 
Nowgong,  1914 

January  1,  1914. — Some  lovely  New  Year's 
letters  came  from  our  fellow  missionaries.  Our 
Nowgong  Christians  are  having  a  New  Year's 
Service.  We  are  thankful  for  the  many  boun- 
ties received  from  our  loving  Heavenly  Father, 
and  want  to  serve  Him  better  this  year. 

January  12. — I  have  so  much  to  write 
today  that  I  don't  know  where  to  begin. 
Nowgong  was  in  holiday  attire  when  the 
Judson  tourist  party  were  here  on  January  6th, 
There  were  12  tourists,  and  Mr.  Tilden  (Assam 
guide).  They  arrived  at  5  A.  M.  After  break- 
fast, at  11  A.  M.,  they  attended  the  "  Opening 
Exercises  "  in  our  new  school  building.  Miss 
M.  C.  Somerville,  M.  A.  (School  Inspectress 
for  Assam)  presided,  and  made  the  opening 
declaration.  Rev.  P.  H.  Moore  read  an  address 
giving  the  history  of  our  Girls'  School.  Dr. 
H.  M.  Sanders  of  New  York  also  gave  an 
address.  Rev.  W.  A.  Hill  offered  prayer. 
Miss  Doe  sang,  and  the  ladies  of  the  Judson 

55 


56  "Purdah  Party." 

party  (Mrs.  Safford,  Miss  Brigham,  Miss 
Fenner,  and  Miss  Richardson)  and  three 
native  gentlemen  made  5  minute  speeches* 
Salutations  from  Assam  missionaries  were  by 
Rev's.  Fox,  Petrick  and  Tilden.  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Dawson,  wife  of  our  deputy  commissioner, 
gave  out  the  prizes  to  20  girls  who  had  the 
best  marks  in  their  classes,  in  weaving,  sewing 
and  crocheting.  Later  some  little  girls  sang 
a  kindergarten  song.  There  were  25  Europeans 
present,  and  about  500  natives,  including  180 
school  children. 

At  the  "  Purdah  Party  "  in  the  afternoon 
there  were  at  least  200  women  and  girls.  Of 
these  perhaps  40  were  Hindu  and  Moham- 
medan women.  At  4  p.  M.  they  inspected  the 
class  rooms  and  girls'  dormitory,  while  the 
Europeans  had  "  tea "  on  the  lawn  at  the 
ladies'  bungalow. 

In  the  evening  some  members  of  the  Judson 
party  told  of  the  centennial  meetings  in  Burma 
to  a  company  of  our  Christians  at  the  chapel. 
The  visitors,  except  Mrs.  Safford  and  Miss 
Brigham,  who  left  Tuesday  evening,  left  at 
10  A.  M.  on  January  7  in  the  ten  covered  bul- 
lock carts  provided  for  them.  Most  of  them 
will  visit  Impur  in  the  Naga  Hills,  and  then 


New  School  Building.      '  57 

go  down  to  Golaghat  for  the  "All  Assam  Asso- 
ciation," January  16  to  18. 

I  was  glad  to  hear  Pitt  say  last  evening  that 
he  was  well  pleased  and  satisfied  with  the 
opening  of  our  new  school  building  and  also 
with  the  delightful  visit  from  the  tourists. 
In  the  party  were  also  Col.  and  Mrs.  C.  W. 
Gale,  Irwin  H.  Nickels,  Rev.  F.  W.  Sweet,  Rev. 
J.  G.  Briggs,  and  Rev.  James  V.  Latimer.  Mr. 
Latimer  has  been  "  Guide  "  all  the  way  from 
U.  S.  A.  With  our  two  bungalows  and  three 
tents  we  were  able  to  entertain  our  visitors, 
and  all  enjoyed  it. 

School  is  now  in  session  in  our  fine,  new 
school  building.  The  furniture  is  American 
desks  for  the  upper  classes,  and  benches  and 
tables  for  the  lower  classes,  and  almirahs  and 
teachers'  desks  and  chairs  for  each  room.  In 
the  assembly  hall  on  the  platform  is  the  fine 
new  piano,  a  mahogany  table  and  two  pretty 
chairs.  Over  the  platform  hangs  a  portrait 
of  King  George  V,  and  a  "  Union  Jack  "  and 
the  "  Stars  and  Stripes."  Miss  Doe  has  the 
normal  training,  and  under  her  are  four  native 
teachers.  Miss  Crisenberry  and  Ponsomie  have 
the  kindergarten  department.  Emily  God- 
smith  is  Miss  Doe's  assistant.  Neyai  Pandit 


58  Thirty-four  Years  in  Nowgong. 

will  continue  in  the  school  for  the  present. 
There  are  180  pupils,  of  whom  50  are  boarders. 

January  16. — Completes  our  34  years  in 
Nowgong.  Such  busy  and  happy  years  they 
have  been,  and  we  thank  our  Father  for  them. 
We  have  just  had  a  delightful  visit  from  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  C.  A.  Nichols  of  Bassein,  Burma. 
They  came  on  Tuesday,  and  stayed  until 
Friday  with  us.  They  will  attend  the  "All- 
Assam  Convention  "  in  Golaghat,  and  then  go 
to  Tura  for  a  few  days.  As  Pitt  and  Mr. 
Nichols  were  classmates  at  Colgate  we  had  to 
talk  over  old  days  in  Hamilton,  N.  Y.  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  U.  M.  Fox  have  gone  to  Golaghat, 
and  will  soon  return  to  their  work  in  the 
Naga  Hills. 

January  18.  —  Sunday.  Several  of  our 
Christian  men  have  gone  to  Golaghat,  but  the 
women  and  children  turned  out  well  to  the 
1 1  A.  M.  service,  and  Pitt  told  them  of  the  many 
languages  (15  or  more)  represented  at  the 
meetings  in  Golaghat  today,  and  then  chose 
as  his  text  Acts  15:  28,  which  reads — "  For  it 
seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Spirit  and  to  me" — 
and  after  the  sermon  we  prayed  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  lead  in  all  the  work  in  Assam. 


Golaghat,  Meetings.  59 

January  20. — Rev.  Walter  C.  Mason  arrived 
at  11  A.  M.  He  wants  to  have  a  good  look  at 
our  new  school  building,  as  they  may  soon 
build  a  new  school  house  in  Tura. 

January  21. — Miss  Long  returned  today 
from  Golaghat,  and  brought  seven  new  girls 
for  our  boarding  department.  Mrs.  Kirby  and 
two  children  came  with  Miss  Long  to  spend 
two  weeks.  The  Kirbys  expect  to  go  home  on 
furlough  in  May.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Longwell  are 
about  to  start  on  furlough,  and  from  Tura  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Harding  and  Miss  Robb  (nurse)  will 
soon  take  furlough.  Miss  Long  reports  good 
meetings  at  Golaghat.  There  was  an  attendance 
of  1,000  native  Christians  and  30  Europeans, 
including  the  tourists. 

January  26. — Our  native  pastor,  Nishi 
Kanta  Day,  told  of  the  Golaghat  meetings. 
They  seem  to  have  enlarged  his  vision,  and 
he  spoke  with  enthusiasm  of  the  work  in 
Assam. 

The  new  church  (The  Shirk  Memorial)  in 
Golaghat  was  dedicated.  There  was  a  pageant 
of  the  various  tribes,  and  they  all  marched  by 
the  tourists  singing,  and  then  photos  were  taken. 

February  1. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  Longwell,  and 


6o  "  Association." 

their  Geraldine  are  spending  Sunday  with  us, 
and  Mr.  Longwell  told  of  the  work  among  the 
Ao  Nagas  to  our  Christians  at  the  11  A.  M. 
service.  » 

February  5. — Bro.  Penn  Moore  and  wife 
are  here  for  a  few  days,  and  then  Evalyn  will 
go  to  Shillong  for  a  good  rest  and  change. 

February  22. — Today  is  our  Annual  Asso- 
ciation Sunday  out  at  Topotjuri.  Pitt  will 
preach  about  "  Glorifying  God."  Mr.  Petrick, 
Bro.  Penn  Moore,  and  Miss  Long  are  at  the 
meetings. 

February  24. — Pitt  and  Mr.  Tuttle  expect 
to  visit  Kohima,  Manipur  and  Ukhrul.  It  will 
require  about  one  month  to  make  this  tour  and 
return.  Mr.  Tuttle  will  try  to  visit  each 
station  in  Assam  during  the  year. 

March  8.— Our  Clara's  33rd  birthday.  We 
praise  God  for  her  life  of  usefulness.  Pitt  is 
in  Manipur,  and  may  reach  home  by  the 
31st  of  March. 

March  10. — Home  mail  today  brought  news 
from  Bro.  Alvah  Traver.  His  little  Clara 
Augusta  was  born  on  the  1st  of  February,  1914. 
Nowgong  is  having  a  short  visit  from  Dr.  and 


Letter  to  Clara.  61 

Mrs.  J.  Riley  Bailey  and  their  three  children 
They  will  soon  return  to  their  work  at  Impur, 
Naga  Hills. 

Pitt  wrote  for  Clara's  birthday — 

Imphal,  Manipur  State, 
8th  of  March,  1914. 

Mr.  Tuttle  and  I  are  here  at  Imphal,  the 
capital  of  the  native  state  of  Manipur.  From 
the  "Assam-Bengal  Railway "  we  marched 
through  Kohima  a  distance  of  134  miles  to 
Imphal.  We  covered  the  distance  in  nine 
marching  days,  besides  a  Sunday's  rest  at 
Kohima.  It  will  require  three  more  days  to 
reach  our  destination  at  Ukhrul,  which  is  at 
an  elevation  of  6,000  feet.  Our  baggage  was 
brought  thus  far  in  carts, — from  here  on  to 
Ukhrul  it  will  be  carried  on  men's  backs.  Mr. 
Tuttle  and  I  each  have  a  pony.  We  have  ridden 
more  than  half  the  distance,  and  walked  the 
remainder.  We  are  sent  here  as  a  committee 
to  see  and  report  on  the  conditions  and  pros- 
pects of  mission  work  in  Manipur.  When  we 
see  Ukhrul,  I  shall  have  seen  every  station  of 
our  Assam  mission.  I  am  the  only  missionary 
in  Assam  who  has  seen  every  station  in  the 
mission — also  the  only  one  who  has  attended 
every  Conference  of  our  mission  since  the 
"Jubilee  Conference  "  in  1886.  In  writing  the 
date,  this  8th  of  March,  I  was  reminded  of 


62  Trip  to  Manipur. 

the  day,  33  years  ago,  when  you  came  to  our 
home  and  gladdened  our  hearts;  and  I  want  to 
send  you  this  little  message  of  love  from  this 
far-away  Imphal.  We  have  not  been  privileged 
to  live  many  years  of  our  life  together.  But 
God  has  been  good  to  us  all, — "There  is  a 
Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends,  rough  hew  them 
as  we  may."  I  trust  you  are  having  a  very 
happy  anniversary  with  all  the  loved  ones 
there.  A  father's  blessing  attends  you  all. 
Your  affectionate  Papa, 

P.  H.  MOORE. 

March  14. — We  have  just  learned  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Asher  K.  Mather  are  appointed  for 
Assam,  and  expected  in  Tura  in  March. 

April  1. — Pitt  came  home  about  2  p.  M. 
yesterday.  He  seems  well,  and  to  have  en- 
joyed the  trip.  Pitt  says — "  The  Manipuri 
language  appears  to  be  the  lingua  franca  of 
the  state;  and  it  should  be  taught  in  all  our 
schools  after  the  pupils  have  mastered  a  few 
elementary  primary  books,  and  our  aim  should 
be  to  provide  the  New  Testament,  and  some 
simple  hymns  and  catechisms,  etc.,  in  the 
Manipuri  language,  and  make  them  serve  for 
the  whole  mission  throughout  the  state. 

We  wish  to  express  our  heartfelt  apprecia- 
tion of  the  work  for  the  Thangkul  Nagas  of 


Easter.  63 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pettigrew,  who  are  now  on 
furlough.  We  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  at 
Ukhrul  faithfully  attempting  to  continue  the 
work  on  the  lines  laid  down  by  Mr.  Pettigrew. 
That  the  God  of  the  harvest  may  thrust  forth 
more  laborers  into  this  vineyard,  and  may  grant 
an  abundant  fruitage,  in  order  that  he  who 
planted,  and  they  who  watered  may  rejoice 
together,  is  the  fervent  prayer  inspired  by  our 
survey  of  the  field,  most  of  the  people  of 
which  still  sit  in  utter  darkness." 

April  12. — Easter  Sunday.  I  hope  the  folks 
at  home  have  as  beautiful  weather  today  as 
we  have.  Pitt's  text  was  Heb.  2:  10. 

There  are  now  in  the  kindergarten  depart- 
ment 106  pupils,  making  a  total  of  208  in  our 
school.  Of  these  50  are  Hindus,  61  Moham- 
medans, and  97  Christians.  The  school  has 
reached  the  middle  English  standard  and  will, 
it  is  hoped,  soon  be  developed  into  a  high 
school.  The  normal  department  will  be  im- 
portant in  the  development  of  work  for  women 
in  the  whole  province.  Most  of  the  teaching 
is  done  in  the  Assamese  language. 

April  27.— Today  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kirby  and 
two  children  are  starting  on  their  furlough  to 


64  "Reference  Committee." 

U.  S.  A.    Rev.  C.  E.  Petrick  is  on  his  way  to 
Germany. 

May  10. — Mr.  Carvell  came  yesterday,  and 
will  stay  for  the  "  Closing  Exercises  "  in  our 
school,  which  will  be  on  12th  inst. 

Miss  Crisenberry  will  spend  her  vacation  in 
Darjeeling  at  the  "  Y.  W.  C.  A." 

May  26. — Pitt  is  away  this  week  and  next 
to  attend  the  "  Reference  Committee  "  meet- 
ing at  Gauhati  and  Goalpara.  He  also  went 
to  a  meeting  of  the  Christian  schools  at  Jorhat. 

The  Gauhati  Mission  has  purchased  land  for 
a  new  compound  for  woman's  work,  and  they 
hope  soon  to  get  money  for  buildings. 

We  are  all  praying  for  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Phillips 
of  Tura.  Dr.  Phillips  is  very  feeble,  owing  to 
heart  disease. 

July  1. — Our  school  begins  today.  Dr. 
Phillips  seems  a  little  stronger,  and  they  may 
start  for  America. 

July  2. — News  came  last  evening  that  my 
niece,  Mary  Ada  Traver,  was  married  to  Rev. 
Angelo  di  Domenica,  B.  D.,  on  the  27th  of 
May,  1914,  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Crippen  at  Averill 
Park,  N.  Y.,  and  their  work  will  be  among 
the  Italians  in  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Start  for  America.  65 

July  8. — I  left  Nowgong  this  morning  on 
the  little  steamer  for  Gauhati  and  Calcutta. 
The  hot  seasons  in  India  are  getting  too  trying 
for  me.  Pitt  wants  me  to  do  just  what  is  best 
for  me,  and  was  so  lovely  about  my  going  home 
again  so  soon.  He  expects  to  follow  early  in 
1916,  when  his  furlough  will  be  due.  Today  is 
our  35th  wedding  anniversary,  and  I  did  so  dis- 
like to  leave  Pitt. 

July  9.— In  Gauhati  I  saw  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Witter,  Miss  Holmes  and  Mr.  Kampfer.  It 
is  25  years  since  I  had  met  Dr.  Witter.  Mrs. 
Witter  is  lovely,  and  in  the  evening  she  drove 
me  over  to  see  the  new  land  which  Miss  Holmes 
and  Miss  Wilson  will  have  for  the  girls'  school. 

July  10. — Mr.  Swanson  and  Mr.  Paul  came 
from  Darjeeling,  and  we  all  had  breakfast 
together  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witter.  At  2  p.  M. 
I  left  by  the  mail  train  for  Calcutta. 

July  11. — Saturday.  The  train  was  late, 
and  it  was  nearly  6  P.  M.  when  I  reached  Cal- 
cutta, and  went  at  once  to  the  "  Lee  Memo- 
rial School,"  where  Rev.  D.  H.  Lee  and  his 
niece  (Miss  Lee)  soon  made  me  feel  at  home. 

•   July  12. — I  went  with  Dr.  and  Miss  Lee 

to  the  Thoburn  Methodist  Church. 


66  Aden. 

July  20. — I  have  spent  the  week  quietly 
in  Calcutta,  and  now  I  am  to  go  on  my  steamer, 
the  British-India  "  Neuralia."  I  have  a  Cook's 
ticket  for  London. 

July  21. — I  have  a  whole  cabin  and  am 
comfortable.  It  is  pleasant  having  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Dawson  on  board.  There  are  only  30  first 
class  passengers.  We  have  not  suffered  much 
from  heat,  and  can  be  on  deck  all  day. 

August  6. — Yesterday  we  called  at  Aden. 
While  there  we  heard  the  war  rumors,  but 
hope  England  and  Germany  will  not  really 
go  to  war. 

August  10. — Suez  was  reached  before  noon 
today.  We  took  on  the  pilot  and  electric 
searchlights  and  started  at  2  P.  M. 

August  11. — Tuesday.  We  reached  Port 
Said  early  this  morning,  and  now  at  noon 
coaling  is  finished,  and  we  hope  soon  to  start 
lor  London  unmolested.  There  were  a  good 
many  ships  waiting  at  Port  Said.  I  have  been 
reading  a  long  list  of  telegrams,  and  there  is 
plenty  of  excitement  in  Belgium.  War  is 
always  sad.  One  telegram  says  Mrs.  Woodrow 
Wilson  died  August  6,  nearly  one  month 


Plymouth.  67 

after  the  death  of  Lady  Hardinge  (wife  of  the 
Viceroy  of  India). 

August  14. — We  are  now  nearing  Malta. 
For  two  nights  our  ship  was  kept  dark.  There 
are  several  steamers  in  line  with  us,  and  we 
hope  to  be  escorted  on  to  London  without 
meeting  any  torpedo  boats.  We  run  about 
320  miles  per  day. 

August  16. — Our  captain  has  received  orders 
by  Marconi  message  to  proceed  to  Marseilles 
as  there  is  some  cargo  to  leave  there.  A  tele- 
gram says  the  Panama  Canal  will  open  for 
traffic  this  week. 

August  23. — Sunday.  We  are  now  having 
lovely  weather,  even  through  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 
We  are  due  at  Plymouth  tomorrow  morning. 
Yesterday  we  saw  a  big  old  sailing  ship.  There 
were  clouds  for  background  and  the  sun  lighted 
up  the  big  white  sails.  It  stood  out  so  calm 
and  peaceful,  and  I  wanted  to  put  it  on  canvas. 
A  fine  sunset  last  evening,  and  afterglow  and 
evening  star.  The  horizon  seemed  so  nearby, 
and  we  had  only  the  Atlantic  between  us 
and  New  York.  There  is  a  long  English 
twilight  now. 


68  London. 

August  25. — Tuesday.  I  reached  London 
safely  today  at  noon,  and  went  at  once  to  our 
agent's  office.  My  passage  is  engaged  for  the 
steamer  "  Philadelphia,"  of  the  "American 
Line,"  to  sail  from  Liverpool  on  Saturday, 
the  29th  of  August. 

August  30. — I  am  now  in  Liverpool,  and  will 
go  to  the  steamer  at  1  p.  M.  I  have  met  some 
Americans  who  are  most  anxious  to  get  home. 
Just  now  there  is  no  country  like  America. 

September  5. — Saturday.  If  our  run  today 
is  as  good  as  yesterday  (440  miles)  we  may 
land  in  New  York  City  about  8  P.  M.  All  are 
most  anxious  to  get  there.  There  are  about 
1,200  passengers  on  board. 

September  6. — Sunday.  Last  evening  Bro. 
Orson  Moore  and  cousin  Laura  M.  Knott 
met  me  and  I  am  staying  over  Sunday  with 
them;  they  all  sing  so  beautifully. 

September  7. — I  took  a  morning  train  for 
Troy,  and  by  4  P.  M.  I  was  out  at  the  old 
home  near  Averill  Park  with  Bro.  Charlie  and 
wife.  It  is  good  to  be  here. 

September  9. — Bro.  Ed.  came  today.  Bro. 
Alvah  also  came  today  with  his  family  and 
sister  Mame. 


Rochester,  N.  Y.  69 

September  21. — The  weather  is  so  lovely 
now,  and  the  autumn  fruits  luscious.  Maple 
leaves  begin  to  turn  red.  I  will  soon  go  to 
Clara's  home  to  spend  the  winter.  Last  week 
I  received  three  letters  from  Pitt.  I  sent  him 
a  letter  from  each  port  at  which  the  steamer 
called,  and  hope  he  will  get  them  in  their  proper 
order  and  not  far  apart. 

I  have  noticed  the  announcement  of  the 
marriage  of  Rev.  Archibald  G.  Adams  and  Miss 
Olive  O.  Mason  on  June  7,  1914,  at  Newton 
Centre,  Mass.  They  have  gone  as  mission- 
aries to  China. 

October  29. — A  good  letter  from  Pitt  says 
he  was  about  to  start  for  Gauhati,  to  attend 
the  meeting  of  the  "  Reference  Committee," 
and  he  would  be  away  from  Nowgong  for  two 
weeks. 

I  have  learned  of  the  death  of  the  mother 
of  cousin  Edith  Traver.  Edith  is  a  missionary 
in  Swatow,  China. 

November  3. — I  am  now  in  Clara's  home 
(431  Monroe  Ave.,  Rochester,  N.  Y.).  Robert 
and  Gordon  are  fine,  they  grow  so  fast,  and 
are  full  of  talk.  All  seem  so  well  and  happy. 

November    11.— My    57th    birthday.      So 


7O  Thanksgiving, 

nice  to  be  here.  Clara  gave  me  a  new  black 
silk  umbrella.  Pitt's  birthday  letter  to  me 
came  on  Monday  and  has  the  love  words. 

November  16. — Yesterday  was  a  red-letter 
day  for  me.  In  the  morning  I  heard  Dr.  H.  C. 
Mabie  preach  at  the  First  Baptist  Church,  and 
in  the  evening  I  heard  Mrs.  Montgomery  speak 
at  the  Park  Avenue  Baptist  Church.  Mrs. 
Montgomery  told  of  her  tour  in  India  and 
Burma. 

November  26. — Thanksgiving  Day.  Grand- 
pa and  grandma  Harris  came  to  help  us  eat 
the  roast  turkey. 

December  4. — This  is  dear  Pitt's  61st 
birthday,  and  I  want  to  be  with  him.  We  are 
writing  to  him. 

I  see  by  Dec.  "  Missions  "  that  seven  persons 
sailed  for  Assam  on  October  10  from  New  York. 
Mrs.  S.  A.  D.  Boggs  for  Jorhat,  Miss  Omie 
Carter  (nurse)  for  Tura,  Miss  Elizabeth  Hay 
for  Nowgong,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  Pettigrew 
for  Ukhrul,  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  F.  Dowd 
and  two  children  for  Impur.  Miss  Linnie 
Holbrook  for  Tura,  sailed  from  California  a 
little  later.  Earlier  in  the  year  Mr.  and  Mrs- 
Asher  K.  Mather  went  to  Tura,  Assam.  Dr. 


Christmas.  71 

and  Mrs.  Crozier  of  Tura  expect  their  daughter 
Frances  to  visit  them. 

December  25. — We  have  had  a  lovely 
Christmas.  Roland  had  his  parents  and  sister 
Grace  here.  A  tree  for  the  children  and  many 
presents.  Grandma  Harris  brought  the  turkey 
and  plum  pudding. 

We  close  the  year  with  thankful  hearts. 


The  Awarding  of  a  Medal,  1915 

January  1,  1915. — We  are  thankful  and 
happy  on  this  glad  day.  Good  letters  come 
regularly  from  my  good  husband  from  Now- 
gong,  Assam,  India.  It  is  almost  six  months 
since  I  left  India,  and  now  I  can  begin  to 
say — Next  year  Pitt  will  come  home.  I  am 
spending  the  winter  with  good  Roland  and 
Clara,  and  their  boys,  Robert  and  Gordon, 
at  431  Monroe  Ave.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

January  7. — Clara  has  been  very  interested 
in  a  "  Sunday  School  Pageant."  There  was  a 
School  Scene,  a  Home  Scene,  and  "  Santa 
Claus'  Visit  to  India."  Clara  wrote  the 
dialogues  and  arranged  the  scenes.  India  is 
so  real  to  Clara. 

January  14. — I  hear  Miss  Elizabeth  Hay 
reached  Nowgong  on  November  26,  and  will 
make  a  good  worker  as  soon  as  she  learns 
Assamese.  Rev.  J.  Paul  expects  to  take  fur- 
lough soon  after  Conference  (January  9  to  18, 
at  Golaghat). 

72 


Conference.  73 

January  16. — This  is  the  35th  anniversary 
of  our  arrival  in  Nowgong. 

February  19. — Pitt's  letter  of  January  6 
was  written  in  Golaghat,  where  he  was  attend- 
ing the  Conference.  He  wrote — the  Dowds', 
Pettigrews',  Miss  Carter,  Miss  Hay,  Mrs. 
Boggs  and  Frances  Crozier  had  all  arrived 
safely,  and  Miss  Holbrook  was  on  the  way 
via  California.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  have  a 
new  little  daughter,  born  on  December  1,  1914. 
and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  S.  W.  Rivenburg  also  have 
a  new  daughter,  born  on  December  25,  1914. 
I  will  copy  what  Pitt  wrote  about  his  new 
medal.  He  said — "  On  New  Year's  Day  I 
conducted  the  service  at  Nowgong.  The 
native  Christians  had  a  feast  and  invited  all 
us  missionaries.  We  were  at  the  feast  at  about 
sunset  when  a  telegram  came  addressed  to  me. 
It  was  from  Shillong  and  was  signed — '  Chief 
Commissioner.'  The  text  of  the  telegram 
read — '  Please  accept  my  best  congratulations 
on  your  Kaisar-i-Hind  silver  medal.'  As  you 
know,  every  January  a  list  of  honours  of 
several  sorts  is  conferred  in  India.  My  name 
appears  in  this  list  for  a  Kaisar-i-Hind  silver 
medal.  It  seems  to  be  granted  for  loyalty  to 


74  Mr.  Kampfer's  Report. 

Government  and  for  philanthropic  work.  This 
is  the  first  it  has  been  conferred  on  one  of  our 
Missionaries  in  Assam;  but  some  have  received 
it  in  Burma  and  South  India." 

February  20. — My  Bro.  Rev.  Rufus  M. 
Traver,  was  here  for  dinner  today.  I  was  so 
pleased  to  see  him  again  after  five  and  one-half 
years;  he  was  on  his  way  to  Albany,  where  he 
will  preach  tomorrow. 

March  8. — Our  Clara's  35th  birthday.  She 
is  a  happy  wife  and  mother.  Eleven  years  ago 
today  Clara  was  with  us  in  Nowgong. 

March  9. — The  announcement  came  today 
that  Carl  D.  and  Ruth  Brown  have  a  little 
daughter — Hazel  Eleanor,  born  on  March  5, 
1915,  in  Clinton,  Mass. 

I  have  just  received  from  Assam  a  report 
Mr.  Kampferwrotetoa  Calcutta  paper — "Forty 
Missionaries  Met  in  Conference.  The  reports 
show  there  are  now  15,000  adult  Christians 
connected  with  this  mission.  These  Christians 
represent  20  tribes  and  races.  During  the  past 
year  2,000  adults  were  baptized.  The  Chris- 
tians hold  annual  associations  with  large 
attendance.  The  Girls'  School  at  Nowgong 
has  300  enrolled  in  all  departments.  The 


"  Reception"  75 

prospects  for  development  of  the  work  are 
bright.  Many  are  asking  for  baptism.  '  The 
Jorhat  Industrial  School'  for  boys  has  developed 
into  a  high  school.  Boys  work  for  their  sup- 
port. The  primary  purpose  of  this  school  is 
to  give  Bible  training  to  Christian  workers. 
Schools  for  the  hill  peoples  are  at  Tura,  Kohima, 
Impur  and  Manipur." 

I  understand  the  new  "  Reference  Commit- 
tee "  is  P.  H.  Moore,  W.  E.  Witter,  W.  Dring 
and  A.  J.  Tuttle  for  1915.  It  was  voted  to  hold 
in  Nowgong  a  conference  in  February,  1916, 
in  connection  with  the  "All-Assam  Convention  " 
of  native  Christians. 

March  27. — Yesterday  afternoon  Clara  and 
I  attended  a  "  Reception "  given  by  Mrs. 
Rust  (wife  of  the  Pastor  of  Second  Baptist 
Church).  She  tried  to  invite  all  the  Baptist 
ladies  who  are  foreign  missionaries.  From 
South  India  were  Mrs.  Baker  and  Mrs.  Elmore. 
From  Burma  were  Mrs.  Roberts  and  Miss 
Northrup.  From  Africa  a  Mrs.  Wood.  From 
China  a  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Partridge. 
From  Japan  Miss  Margaret  Tenny.  After 
music  and  light  refreshments  there  were  stories 
by  Mrs.  Baker,  Mrs.  Elmore  and  Dr.  C.  H. 


76  Aver  ill  Park. 

Rust.  Mrs.  W.  H.  Roberts  went  to  Burma 
as  Miss  A.  L.  Buell  in  1879,  and  she  was  one 
of  our  party  from  New  York  to  England.  I 
had  not  met  Mrs.  Roberts  for  over  35  years. 
Rochester  is  a  good  place  to  meet  old  friends, 
and  to  hear  good  sermons.  There  were  15  in 
our  Missionary  party  to  sail  in  October,  1879. 
Of  this  party  Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  R.  Manley, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  C.  A.  Nichols,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Mix, 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Roberts  and  ourselves  are  still  in 
the  harness.  Miss  A.  M.  Barkley  has  worked 
many  years  in  Cuba.  Mrs.  A.  T.  Morgan  is 
in  this  country. 

I  suppose  the  "  Evangelistic  Campaign  "  is 
on  in  Assam  this  month.  Pitt  wrote  the  five 
boxes  of  my  little  Assamese  books  are  on  the 
way  up  from  Calcutta. 

April  8. — I  left  Rochester  at  10  A.  M.  today. 
Roland  and  Clara  took  me  to  the  station  and 
saw  me  started  for  Averill  Park,  where  I  will 
spend  the  summer.  The  country  calls  me  in 
the  spring,  and  I  want  to  be  out-of-doors. 

Pitt  wrote  he  was  having  a  visit  from  Penn 
and  Evalyn,  he  expected  Bro.  Penn  Moore 
and  wife  would  attend  the  Nowgong  Associa- 
tion. Miss  Long  and  Miss  Hay  went  to  the 


In  the  Old  Home.  77 

Golaghat  Association.  Miss  Long  is  very  much 
interested  in  starting  a  Bible  school  for  the 
work  of  training  women  for  religious  work. 
She  has  had  an  annual  Bible  class  for  years. 

The  Nowgong  Girls'  School  has  a  fine  plant 
of  up-to-date  buildings  and  equipment.  The 
school  has  reached  the  middle  English  standard 
and  will,  it  is  hoped,  soon  be  developed  into  a 
high  school.  A  normal  department  will  help 
in  the  development  of  work  for  women  in  the 
whole  province. 

April  14. — I  am  enjoying  my  stay  with 
Bro.  Charlie  and  wife  in  the  old  home.  They 
have  just  heard  of  the  birth  of  a  little  grand- 
daughter, Sylvia  Ada  Domenica,  on  the  13th 
of  April,  1915. 

Pitt  wrote  that  Mr.  Swanson  and  Mr.  Tuttle 
were  at  the  Association.  The  meetings  were 
good  and  the  attendance  was  over  300.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jackman  are  coming  home  this  spring. 

July  8. — Our  36th  wedding  anniversary,  and 
I  want  to  see  Pitt. 

August  18.— Pitt's  letter,  dated  July  7, 
says — "  Tomorrow  will  be  36  years  since  we 
went  to  the  church  and  plighted  our  troth  to 
each  other— on  the  8th  of  July,  1879.  How 


78  Miss  A.  M.  Barkley. 

many  blessings  have  crowned  our  lives  through 
all  the  happy  years!  How  much  we  have  for 
which  to  be  thankful!  Even  the  hardships  of 
life  have  their  uses:  and  we  need  them,  I  sup- 
pose, to  help  on  the  process  of  conformity  to 
the  Divine  pattern,  who  was  a  man  of  sor- 
rows and  acquainted  with  grief."  Pitt  wrote 
that  Miss  Doe  and  Miss  Crisenberry  opened 
school  on  July  1.  Also  that  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
U.  M.  Fox  have  a  little  son,  Gaylord  Hollis, 
born  on  the  19th  of  September,  1915. 

October  8. — I  am  again  with  Roland  and 
Clara  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  They  are  the  happy 
parents  of  another  little  boy,  Charles  Richard, 
who  arrived  on  October  4,  1915. 

November  11. — My  58th  birthday  was  duly 
celebrated.  Robert  and  Gordon  always  enjoy 
the  ice  cream.  Robert  goes  to  school  now. 

November  21. — I  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  another  of  our  missionary  party.  Miss 
Anna  M.  Barkley  is  in  Rochester,  and  Mrs. 
Roberts  and  I  were  invited  to  meet  her.  Miss 
Barkley  spent  five  years  in  Burma.  Then  she 
returned  to  U.  S.  A.  and  began  work  under  the 
"  Home  Mission  Board  "  in  Memphis,  Tenn. 
For  the  last  16  years  she  has  been  working  in 


Sixty  Second  Birthday.  79 

Cuba.  Just  now  she  has  been  attending  some 
"Associations  "  and  will  soon  go  to  southern 
California  for  the  winter,  where  she  can  work 
among  Spanish  speaking  people.  Miss  Barkley 
is  interesting  and  I  am  so  glad  to  have  met 
her  again  after  36  years. 

November  27.— Pitt's  letter  of  the  18th  of 
October  says  Dr.  Crozier  and  family  are  start- 
ing on  their  furlough  to  America.  Pitt  was  in 
Gauhati  for  reference  committee  work.  Rev. 
A.  J.  Tuttle  is  now  treasurer  of  the  Assam 
Mission. 

December  4. — This  is  Pitt's  62nd  birthday, 
and  little  Charles  Richard  is  two  months  old. 

December  25. — A  merry  Christmas  with 
plenty  of  presents  for  our  small  boys. 


VI 
Home  Going,  1916 

January  1,  1916. — Three  good  letters  have 
come  from  Pitt  this  week.  I  fear  he  is  not 
well,  but  his  letters  say  very  little  of  himself. 
We  heard  today  of  the  death  of  Edna  T. 
Calder  (Bro.  Charlie's  elder  daughter).  She 
died  December  31,  1915,  and  will  be  buried 
from  the  old  home  at  Averill  Park  on  January  3. 

I  hear  Miss  Anna  E.  Long  of  Nowgong  is 
returning  to  America  on  furlough.  Word  has 
come  that  Rev.  C.  H.  Tilden  and  Miss  Grace  B. 
Darling  were  married  on  the  23rd  of  November, 
1915. 

January  16. — This  date  completes  our  36 
years  in  Nowgong.  We  are  thankful  we  were 
sent  there,  and  God  has  been  with  us  all  these 
years.  We  praise  Him. 

January  13. — Since  the  last  date  in  my 
Journal  I  have  been  to  Pontiac,  Mich.,  to  visit 
my  Bro.,  Rev.  Rufus  M.  Traver  and  family. 
It  was  delightful  to  be  in  their  happy  home 
for  one  week.  Rufus  has  a  large  church  and 
leads  a  strenuous  life.  He  has  told  me  all 

80 


Chief  Commissioner.  81 

about  his  tour  around  the  world,  and  all  he 
saw  and  learned. 

Good  letters  came  from  Pitt.    He  wrote — 

"  Nowgong,  Assam,  India. 
January  16th,  1916. 

My  own  loved  Jessie: — 36  years  ago  today 
you  and  I  first  landed  on  this  Nowgong  Mis- 
sion Compound.  How  good  God  has  been  to 
allow  us  so  many  years  for  His  blessed  service 
here.  I  have  no  doubt  you  are  thinking  of 
this  36th  anniversary,  and  praising  God  for  it. 

One  might  write  quite  a  record  of  the  changes 
that  we  have  seen  in  Assam,  both  in  the  mis- 
sion, and  in  political,  educational  and  indus- 
trial lines. 

I  am  sure  we  have  many  reasons  for  thank- 
fulness to  our  Heavenly  Father,  if  we  could 
but  '  count  our  mercies.'  Surely  goodness  and 
mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life." 

He  also  says  earth-work  on  the  branch 
railway  into  Nowgong  has  begun.  The  Lady 
School  Inspectress  and  Chief  Commissioner  of 
Assam  were  in  Nowgong  and  visited  our  school, 
and  saw  the  300  girls. 

Word  has  come  that  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Tanquist 
of  Kohima,  Assam,  have  a  little  daughter, 
Dorothea  Margery,  born  on  November  26,  1915. 


82  Statistics. 

Letters  from  Pitt  read  as  if  he  will  start  for 
U.  S.  A.  in  March.  Probably  the  Assam  Con- 
ference was  held  in  Nowgong  last  week. 

March  2. — Mrs.  E.  G.  Phillips  called  on  me 
last  week,  and  we  talked  over  Assam  matters. 
I  hear  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rivenburg  are  starting 
for  America,  and  also  Mrs.  Kampfer  and  little 
daughter.  Miss  Long  landed  safely  and  is  in 
Michigan.  Assam  now  has — 

Churches 165 

Members 14,836 

Added  by  baptism 1,346 

March  7,  1916.  Tuesday. — Yesterday  we 
had  sad  news  from  India.  A  cablegram  came 
from  India  to  Dr.  J.  H.  Franklin,  Foreign 
Secretary  of  the  "American  Baptist  Foreign 
Mission  Society,"  Boston,  Mass.,  saying  my 
dear  husband  has  gone  to  his  Heavenly  Home. 
I  know  it  is  all  just  as  Pitt  would  have  it. 
God  knows  best.  Pitt  is  now  free  from  limi- 
tations and  happy  with  his  Saviour.  He 
loved  India,  and  worked  so  faithfully  for  the 
salvation  of  the  Assamese  and  others. 

Pitt  died  on  the  3rd  of  March,  1916,  in  the 
Calcutta  Hospital.  Burial  in  Nowgong  to- 
morrow. I  suppose  Pitt  was  just  starting  to 


Sad  News.  83 

come  home  to  me.  I  am  thankful  he  died  on 
land,  and  is  buried  in  Nowgong,  Assam,  India. 

His  letter,  which  came  last  week,  said  Bro. 
Penn  Moore  and  wife  were  in  Nowgong,  and 
would  stay  through  February.  I  am  so  thank- 
ful Bro.  Penn  could  be  there  and  minister  to 
Pitt  during  his  last  month.  Penn  wrote  that 
Pitt  was  run  down  and  weak,  and  that  the 
red  corpuscles  in  his  blood  were  only  30 
per  cent,  of  what  they  should  be. 

Clara  and  I  are  greatly  disappointed.  Clara 
did  so  want  to  show  her  three  boys  to  her 
father.  Roland  and  Clara  are  so  good  to  me, 
and  I  am  thankful  I  am  here.  I  am  writing 
the  sad  news  to  my  brothers  and  sisters. 

Pitt  showed  such  patience  and  devotion  in 
his  Father's  work.  He  will  be  greatly  missed 
in  the  Assam  Mission  where  he  laboured  for 
36  years.  My  prayer  is  that  just  the  right 
successor  will  be  found  for  the  Nowgong  work. 

March  8. — Clara's  36th  birthday.  She  is 
so  much  to  me  these  days. 

March  9. — I  feel  my  loss,  and  loneliness 
more  today,  but  I  must  not  complain.  I  must 
remember  Pitt  is  perfectly  happy  with  his 
Saviour,  and  it  is  all  just  as  he  wants  it.  Rev. 


84  Last  Letter. 

A.  C.  Baldwin  came  to  call,  and  with  him  Mr. 
Tilden  of  Assam.  Mr.  Tilden  and  wife  will 
sail  for  Assam  in  the  autumn.  Rev.  J.  Paul 
may  sail  earlier. 

Such  good  letters  of  sympathy  come  from 
relatives  and  friends.  Mrs.  Colwell  of  Gales- 
burg,  111.,  wrote  that  Pitt  was  baptized  on 
March  1,  1863,  in  Ontario,  111.  Pitt's  ordina- 
tion was  also  in  Ontario  on  the  23rd  of  July, 
1879. 

March  25.— Today  Pitt's  letter  of  the  13th 
of  February  came,  and  said  his  steamer  passage 
was  engaged  to  sail  from  Calcutta  the  latter 
part  of  March,  via  the  Pacific,  and  that  Mrs. 
Swanson  and  her  little  Paul  would  sail  on  the 
same  steamer.  Pitt's  letter  was  written  with 
pencil  and  looked  as  if  he  were  tired.  He  en- 
closed a  "  Conference  program  "  (Conference 
to  be  February  17  to  24,  inclusive)  and  said 
some  of  the  missionaries  had  arrived  in  Now- 
gong.  In  Gauhati  they  now  have  Miss  Ellen 
E.  Vickland  and  Miss  Augusta  M.  Geisen- 
hener  as  new  workers.  Miss  Holmes  will  soon 
return  to  America.  Miss  Wilson  is  trying  to 
stay  on  if  health  will  permit. 

I  feel  that  Pitt's  life  of  missionary  devotion 


Calcutta.  85 

is  a  precious  heritage,  as  his  love  and  prayers 
have  ever  been  a  benediction. 

Bro.  Penn  wrote  that  they  took  Pitt  to 
Calcutta  to  see  if  he  could  get  strength  for 
the  voyage.  But  God  saw  otherwise  and  the 
"  anemia  "  increased  until  the  heart  failed  at 
5  A.  M.  on  the  3rd  of  March.  During  the  last 
hours  Bro.  Penn  repeated  the  23rd  Psalm  and 
Pitt  said — 

"  It  is  ample.     It  is  ample." 


"  Resolutions,"  "  Tributes,"  and  an 

Account  of  the  Funeral  of 

Rev.  P.  H.  Moore 

I  want  first  to  insert  this  notice  of  the  death 
of  Father  Moore. 

Rev.  C.  C.  Moore 

Rev.  C.  C.  Moore,  one  of  our  retired  mis- 
sionaries, died  December  6,  1882,  at  his  home 
in  Ontario,  111. 

He  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  December 
26,  1818,  entered  Madison  University  in  1844, 
graduated  in  1846,  and  from  the  Theological 
Seminary  in  1848.  He  was  ordained  at  Still- 
water,  N.  Y.,  August  30,  1848,  and  married 
Miss  Laura  C.  Irish,  of  South  Livonia,  Liv- 
ingston County,  N.  Y.  He  received  his  ap- 
pointment while  a  student  in  1847,  sailed  from 
Boston  October  21,  1848,  and  arrived  at  Akyab, 
Arracan,  March  5,  1849.  In  just  eight  months 
from  that  time  his  wife  died,  and  in  January, 
1851,  he  married  Miss  E.  F.  Whitehead,  of 
Calcutta.  He  left  Akyab,  on  account  of  his 
health,  August  9,  1854,  and  arrived  in  the 
United  States  August  18,  1855.  Desirous  to 
relieve  the  mission  board  of  farther  support, 
he  in  1856  settled  in  Ontario,  111.,  on  80  acres 
86 


Rev.  Calvin  C.  Moore.  87 

of  land,  and,  in  connection  with  his  labor  to 
pay  for  it  and  support  his  family,  he  con- 
tinued for  years,  though  in  poor  health,  to 
supply  weak  churches,  among  whose  member- 
ship grateful  memories  of  him  still  linger.  His 
last  sermon  was  preached  in  Ontario,  in  the 
absence  of  the  pastor,  about  two  years  ago. 
Since  that  time  his  health  has  been  too  much 
impaired  to  again  attempt  it.  Thus  we  have 
little  more  than  the  bare  statistics  of  his  life. 

But  there  is  one  thing  we  may  note  in  it  as  of 
special  interest,  i.e.,  the  time  when  he  gave 
himself  to  the  work  of  foreign  missions.  In 
1843  the  thrilling  appeal  of  the  lamented  Corn- 
stock  reached  this  country:  "  Six  men  for 
Arracan."  The  year  following  Comstock  died. 
In  the  annual  report  of  the  board,  1847,  we  find 
the  following:  "  The  appeal  of  Comstock  is 
yet  unanswered.  '  Remember,'  he  said  as  with 
the  solemnity  of  a  dying  charge,  '  Six  men 
for  Arracan.'  He  meant  six  men  for  the  Bur- 
mans  of  Arracan.  Four  years  and  more  have 
since  passed  over  us,  and  not  a  solitary  mes- 
senger has  been  sent  back  to  that  forsaken 
land  to  betoken  even  that  the  sound  has  reached 
our  ears."  But  as  Bro.  Moore  was  appointed 
for  that  department  of  labor  in  1847,  it  would 
seem  that  he  was  among  the  first  to  respond  to 
that  call,  saying,  "  Here,  Lord,  am  T,  send  me." 

It  cost  more  of  sacrifice  to  consecrate  one- 
self to  foreign  mission  work  then  than  it  does 


88  Voyage  Long. 

now.  The  voyage  was  very  long,  the  trials 
greater,  and  Arracan  had  come  to  be  regarded  as 
the  most  perilous  to  life  and  health  of  any  of 
our  mission  fields.  Some  time  after  entering 
upon  his  work  he  had  an  attack  of  the  Asiatic 
cholera,  and  finally,  when  on  a  mission  tour 
seventy  miles  from  his  station,  of  jungle  fever. 
By  this  his  health  was  so  impaired  that  he  was 
compelled  to  return  to  his  native  land.  And 
to  see  a  man  peril  health  and  life  in  such  ser- 
vice, and  then  settle  down  with  broken  consti- 
tution, and  in  connection  with  his  efforts  to 
support  his  family,  attempt  to  supply  weak 
churches,  is  to  many  a  mystery. 

But  there  is  a  key  to  every  man's  life.  If 
we  mistake  not,  the  key  to  Bro.  Moore's  life 
is  found  in  the  "  constraining  love  of  Christ," 
which  filled  his  soul  with  intense  desire  to 
preach  the  gospel,  especially  to  the  perishing 
heathen.  This  is  evident  from  lines  penned  by 
him  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife  and  child, 
entitled,  "Alone  in  this  desert  land,"  beginning 
thus: 

11 1  had  a  precious,  lovely,  loving  wife, 
And  tender  babe,  whose  bright  blue  eyes, 
As  he  looked  up  for  help,  seemed  to  say, 
'  I  love  thee,  father,  and  in  thy  care  confide.'  " 

And  after  expressing  his  loneliness  and  trust  in 
Christ,  he  adds: 


Pitt  H.  Moore.  89 

"  While  meeting  life's  conflicts  single  and  alone,  I  ask 
'  Father,  if  'tis  thy  will,  O  give  me  strength  to  set  them 

all  aside, 

And,  like  those  who  run  to  win,  O  may  I  keep  my  eye 
Fast  fixed  upon  the  goal,  the  prize,  the  crown,  and 

when  I  come 
To  wear  it  there  above,  O  may  I  have  one  bright  and 

set  with  stars, 
To  add  a  little  glory  to  the  one  my  Saviour  wears.'  " 

Such  was  then  the  highest  aspiration  of  his 
heart,  and  on  his  return  to  this  country  it  never 
left  him.  By  his  contributions  to  sustain  others 
on  the  foreign  field  he  still  sought  to  gather 
stars  there. 

He  was  a  man  who  economized  for  Christ, 
especially  to  educate  and  fit  his  children  for 
the  service  of  Christ.  Considering  the  means  at 
his  command,  he  was  among  the  most  benevo- 
lent among  us.  To  the  calls  of  benevolence  and 
charity,  and  also  to  meet  the  incidental  expenses 
of  the  church  and  the  pastor's  salary,  none 
responded  more  liberally  than  he,  and  then, 
in  his  annual  contributions  to  foreign  missions, 
he  gave  more  than  any  one  among  us.  In  con- 
nection with  all  this,  a  little  more  than  three 
years  ago  he  joyfully  gave  his  oldest  son, 
Pitt  H.  Moore,  fitted  for  mission  work,  who, 
at  Nowgong,  Assam,  is  seeking  to  add  some- 
what to  the  glory  of  Christ's  crown.  And  again 
of  late  he  was  made  very  happy  in  the  fact 
that  his  second  son  had  entered  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Morgan  Park,  Chicago,  with  the 
prospect  of  his  being  devoted  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry.  Thus  is  indicated  to  us  the  con- 


90  Rev.  Penn  E.  Moore. 

trolling  motive  of  his  life.  And  when  we  attempt 
to  measure  the  "  glory  and  joy  "  that  await 
him  in  those  saved  through  his  personal  labors, 
contributions  and  influence,  and  then  in  those 
that  may  be  saved  through  the  sons — what  are 
all  the  aspirations  and  ambitions  of  earth  as 
compared  with  it? 

Bro.  Moore  was  repeatedly  called  to  drink 
the  cup  of  sorrow:  in  the  death  of  his  first  wife 
within  eight  months  after  reaching  the  foreign 
field;  in  the  death  of  three  of  his  children  here 
in  Ontario,  all  taken  away  by  diphtheria  within 
the  space  of  one  week;  and  finally  in  the  death 
of  his  second  wife  who,  as  a  mother  and  as  a 
member  of  the  church,  exerted  such  a  salutary 
influence  that  she  is  still  spoken  of  as  the 
sainted  Mrs.  Moore. 

At  his  own  death  he  left  besides  the  two 
sons  already  mentioned,  two  younger  ones 
just  developing  into  a  noble  Christian  man- 
hood, and  also  his  third  wife,  to  whom  he  was 
married  six  years  ago  last  June.  She  will  be 
better  known  to  some  of  the  older  readers  of 
our  mission  periodicals  as  Mrs.  Knapp  (nee 
Sophia  Hubbel)  who,  after  ten  years  of  ser- 
vice, returned  to  her  native  land  on  account 
of  failing  health.  She  still  retains  her  mission- 
ary spirit,  manifested  in  her  efficiency  as  presi- 
dent of  our  Woman's  Mission  Circle. 

As  Bro.  Moore  still  retained  much  of  his 
former  energy  and  his  active  habits,  we  had 


"Annual  Report"  91 

hoped  he  might  remain  with  us  for  years.  But 
suddenly  taken  with  what  he  was  accustomed 
to  call,  one  of  his  "  bad  spells,"  he,  after  about 
ten  minutes  of  intense  suffering,  laid  himself 
down  upon  the  couch,  closed  his  eyes,  and  thus 
passed  away,  his  last  words  being,  "  Come 
quickly  to  my  release." 

He  has  worthily  filled  all  the  relations  of 
life — as  a  husband  and  father  in  the  family, 
by  his  cheerful,  genial  spirit  and  moulding 
Christian  influence;  as  a  citizen,  by  his  per- 
sonal integrity,  business  energy  and  readiness 
to  second  everything  which  might  promote  the 
best  interests  of  society;  and  especially  as  a 
church  member,  never  failing  to  manifest  a 
kind,  considerate  spirit  towards  his  pastor, 
always  faithful  to  his  place  in  the  church,  and 
ready  to  help  by  his  personal  labor,  counsel  and 
influence.  Thus,  as  one  has  said  since  his 
death,  "  He  has  left  us  a  noble  example  of  a 
completed,  fully  rounded  Christian  life." 

I.  FARGO. 

From  the  Annual  Report  of  the 
"A.  B.  F.  M.  Society"  for  1916 

In  the  death  of  Rev.  Pitt  H.  Moore  of 
Nowgong,  Assam,  in  a  hospital  at  Calcutta, 
March  3,  1916,  the  Society  is  bereft  of  a 
faithful  missionary  whose  service  at  Nowgong 
dates  from  January  16,  1880.  That  he  was  a 
man  of  fine  spirit  is  evinced  in  this  quotation 


92  Resolution. 

from  a  recent  personal  letter:  "  Perhaps  it  is 
as  important  to  ask  what  sort  of  men  we  are, 
as  the  result  of  the  experiences  of  life,  as  to  ask 
what  work  we  have  done  during  our  lifetime. 
Personally  I  feel  that  what  I  am,  is  as  important 
as  what  I  do;  and  that  I  need  to  be  on  my 
guard  constantly  lest  the  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships that  I  meet  shall  harden  and  embitter  my 
soul.  I  try  to  keep  my  eyes  on  Jesus,  Who  is 
our  pattern  in  all  things.  He  managed,  by 
communion  with  the  Father,  to  keep  His  soul 
sweet  and  wholesome,  no  matter  what  outward 
circumstances  were.  I  suppose  it  is  our  privi- 
lege as  His  followers  to  pattern  after  Him  in 
this."  One  of  the  last  official  acts  of  his  life 
was  to  write  a  letter  to  befriend  a  brother  who 
was  in  trouble.  Within  a  fortnight  of  his 
death  Mr.  Moore  was  honored  by  receiving 
from  the  Government  of  India  the  Kaisar-i- 
Hind  medal,  bestowed  on  him  for  his  long  and 
distinguished  service.  The  medal  was  most 
graciously  presented  by  the  Deputy  Commis- 
sioner of  Nowgong  J.A.  Dawson  during  the 
session  of  the  Conference  at  Nowgong  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1916. 


Resolution  of  the  Assam  Reference 
Committee 

Sitting  around  the  large  table  in  the  room 
made  sacred  through   so  many  years   by  the 


Work.  93 

presence  of  the  Master  and  his  loyal  missionary 
working  together  in  vital  oneness  for  the  up- 
building of  the  kingdom  which  cost  the  Master 
his  life,  we,  the  members  of  the  Assam  Reference 
Committee,  unite  in  the  following  resolution  to 
be  placed  on  our  permanent  records  and  also 
to  be  forwarded  to  our  sister,  Mrs.  P.  H.  Moore, 
and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Roland  (Clara  Moore) 
Harris,  M.  D. 

RESOLVED,  That  we  extend  to  our  beloved 
sister,  Mrs.  P.  H.  Moore,  and  to  her  daughter, 
Dr.  Clara  Moore  Harris,  our  profound  sym- 
pathy, and  our  own  deep  sense  of  personal  loss 
to  ourselves,  to  every  fellow  missionary  of  our 
Assam  Mission,  and  to  our  work  in  all  of  its 
departments  in  the  call  to  higher  service  of  the 
Rev.  P.  H.  Moore,  M.  A.  (K),  so  long  a  member 
of  our  Assam  Reference  and  Property  Commit- 
tees, Ex-treasurer  of  our  Assam  Mission,  mem- 
ber of  the  Managing  Committee  of  the  Jorhat 
Christian  Schools,  Manager  of  the  Nowgong 
Girls'  School,  Attorney  for  the  Assam  Mission, 
member  of  the  Revision  Committee  of  the 
Assamese  New  Testament  and  Hymn  Book, 
translator  of  Hymns  and  Tracts,  reviser  of 
Brown's  Grammar  of  the  Assamese  Language, 
and  ofttimes  member  of  special  committees 
that  have  had  to  do  with  the  most  perplexing 
problems  of  our  Mission — a  man  who  by  God's 
gentleness  was  made  great  and  who  gave 
himself,  without  reserve,  to  every  good  word 


94  Resolution. 

and  work  both  for  his  fellow  missionaries 
and  the  peoples  of  Assam  for  whom  he  laboured 
and  died. 


Resolution  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of 

the  "American  Baptist  Foreign 

Mission  Society" 

PITT  HOLLAND  MOORE 

Rev.  Pitt  Holland  Moore  was  born  in 
Akyab,  Arracan,  Burma,  December  4,  1853, 
the  son  of  Calvin  C.  Moore  of  Burma  and  a 
brother  of  P.  E.  Moore  of  Assam. 

He  graduated  from  Madison,  now  Colgate 
University  in  1876  and  from  Hamilton  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  1879.  His  church  member- 
ship was  held  in  Ontario,  111.  He  was  ordained 
in  the  fall  of  1879,  having  been  appointed  mis- 
sionary on  June  25  of  the  same  year,  and  sailed 
for  Nowgong,  Assam,  October  11  of  that  fall. 

With  the  exception  of  three  brief  furloughs 
consisting  of  but  a  few  months  each,  Mr.  Moore 
devoted  his  life  to  work  in  Assam.  He  passed 
from  this  life  March  3,  1916,  in  Calcutta  on 
his  return  to  America. 

On  July  8,  1879,  he  married  Miss  Jessie 
Fremont  Traver  who,  with  their  daughter, 
survives  him.  She  was  in  this  country  for  her 
health  at  the  time  of  his  departure. 

My  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Moore 


Funeral  Service.  95 

was  limited  to  nine  days  of  delightful  com- 
panionship on  shipboard,  sailing  from  Singa- 
pore to  Calcutta,  he  returning  to  Assam,  I 
going  through  India  proper.  As  we  sang, 
prayed,  conducted  religious  worship  and  con- 
versed together,  he  deeply  impressed  me  with 
piety  and  entire  consecration  to  his  mission. 

I  believe  that  we  can  sincerely  say  concern- 
ing him — "  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in 
the  Lord  from  henceforth.  Yea,  saith  the 
Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors 
and  their  works  do  follow  them." 

Resolved,  that  we  place  on  record  the  fact 
of  our  appreciation  of  his  devoted  life  and 
services  and  that  we  extend  an  expression  of 
our  sympathy  to  the  friends  who  mourn  his 
absence.  

An  Account  of  the  Funeral  Services 
in  Nowgong,  Assam,  India 

PITT  HOLLAND  MOORE 

On  the  afternoon  of  March  8,  1916,  in  the 
quiet  little  village  of  Nowgong,  Assam,  were 
held  the  funeral  services  of  one  of  God's  am- 
bassadors to  India.  No  more  impressive 
memorial  service  was  ever  held  for  any  rep- 
resentative of  an  earthly  king,  though  every- 
thing was  plain  and  simple,  free  from  all 
formality  and  show.  On  a  table  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs  leading  to  the  upper  veranda, 


96  Vernacular  Service. 

rested  the  little  casket  containing  the  precious 
ashes  of  our  faithful  missionary  and  friend, 
Pitt  Holland  Moore.  Over  the  soft,  white 
silk  drapery  of  the  casket  lay  a  cluster  of 
beautiful  fern  leaves  and  lily  flowers  pure  and 
white,  like  the  soul  to  which  they  did  honor. 
Roses  and  Konson  flowers  covered  the  table  and 
the  floor  about  it  and  two  crosses  of  ferns  and 
white  flowers  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  table. 
On  the  lower  square  porch  were  seated  the 
nineteen  missionaries  who  could  be  present, 
and  the  English  officials  of  the  station.  About 
the  three  open  sides  of  the  porch  were  gathered 
hundreds  of  the  native  people  of  Nowgong. 
Almost  all  of  the  Christians  present  had  been 
baptized  by  Mr.  Moore.  The  young  men  and 
boys  of  the  Government  High  School  who  the 
day  before  had  held  a  meeting  of  their  own 
and  drafted  resolutions  of  respect  and  consola- 
tion to  the  relatives  and  missionaries  left,  were 
present  with  prominent  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity: Hindu  and  Mohammedan  judges, 
pleaders,  government  inspectors  and  clerks. 
On  the  veranda  above  and  inside  the  bungalow 
were  the  Christian  women  and  girls.  The 
boarding  school  girls,  a  hundred  strong,  dressed 
in  white  "saries,"  marched  over  in  double  line 
and  took  their  places  with  the  others. 

The  vernacular  service  came  first.  After 
the  singing  of  "  Hope  of  Immortality,"  Nishi 
Kanta,  the  pastor  of  the  Nowgong  church,  read 


Converts.  97 

that  wonderful  fifteenth  chapter  of  First  Corin- 
thians. Fifteen  years  ago  Nishi  Kanta  was 
converted  under  Mr.  Moore's  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  He  was  a  high  caste  Hindu  of  good 
family  and  suffered  much  persecution  from 
them  when  he  became  a  Christian.  Through  it 
all  Mr.  Moore  stood  by  him  and  encouraged 
and  helped  him.  The  prayer  that  followed  was 
offered  by  Lucas  Borua.  Thirty-six  years  ago, 
when  Mr.  Moore  arrived  in  Nowgong,  Lucas 
was  a  little  boy.  For  many  years  now  he  has 
been  his  right  hand  man  in  building,  pundit 
and  evangelistic  work.  Then  Neyai  Paudit, 
who  has  for  twenty-two  years  or  more  served 
as  headmaster  in  the  Nowgong  Mission  School,, 
in  simple,  direct  language,  spoke  to  the  people. 
He  said  that  Mr.  Moore  had  given  his  life  for 
them,  that  he  had  stayed  and  worked  for  them 
when  he  should  have  been  on  furlough.  Lead- 
ing others  to  Christ  was  his  aim  in  life.  He 
told  how  some  years  ago  when  the  ladies  of 
the  station  were  absent  cholera  broke .  out  in 
the  boarding  school  and  Mr.  Moore  took  the 
little  sufferers  over  to  his  own  bungalow  and 
watched  and  cared  for  them  day  and  night, 
closing  the  eyes  of  five  of  them  in  death. 

Rev.  Henry  Goldsmith  of  the  Jorhat  Boys' 
School  next  addressed  the  people.  Henry  was 
a  young  man  in  the  high  school  when  Mr. 
Moore  first  came  to  Nowgong.  They  soon 
became  good  friends  and  when  Mr.  Moore 


98  Quartette. 

revised  the  New  Testament  in  Assamese, 
Henry  worked  with  him  for  a  long  time.  He 
told  of  those  days  spent  together  and  of  the 
many  helpful  lessons  he  learned  from  the  asso- 
ciation. He  made  a  strong  appeal  to  the 
friends  among  the  Hindus  and  Mohammedans 
to  accept  the  Christ  whom  they  had  seen  por- 
trayed in  the  life  of  Mr.  Moore  day  by  day. 
After  another  hymn  and  prayer  the  service 
without  a  break  changed  from  Assamese  to 
English. 

A  quartette  of  missionaries — Walter  Mason 
of  Tura,  William  Pettigrew  of  Ukhrul,  George 
R.  Kampfer,  Gauhati,  and  A.  J.  Tuttle,  Gau- 
hati,  sang.  William  Pettigrew  then  read  the 
English  scripture  reading  for  the  dead.  R.  B. 
Longwell  of  Impur  voiced  the  longing  of  all  our 
hearts  in  his  prayer  that  we  might  all  live  as 
near  the  Master  as  the  one  who  had  just  left 
us. 

For  the  past  twenty-one  years  John  Carvell 
has  been  a  close  friend  and  co-worker  with 
Mr.  Moore,  and  briefly  sketched  Mr.  Moore's 
early  life.  Then  he  spoke  of  Mr.  Moore  "As 
a  Missionary."  In  a  voice  full  of  love  and 
tender  feeling  he  said,  "  Pitt  Moore  was  a 
man  cast  in  a  large  mould.  He  was  a  man 
qualified  to  fill  any  position  of  rank  and  honor. 
But  he  chose  a  life  of  simple  service.  .  .  . 
His  predominating  characteristic  was  unselfish- 
ness. Always  others  first,  himself  last.  .  .  . 


"As  a  Friend."  99 

No  one  ever  heard  him  say  an  unkind  word 
about  any  one:  European,  official,  missionary 
or  native.  .  .  .  He  was  thorough  in  all  his 
work  and  built  on  firm  foundations."  Mr. 
Carvell  closed  with  a  eulogy  to  Mr.  Moore  in 
which  he  called  him  "A  Prince  of  God." 

Thirty-two  years  ago  when  Dr.  Witter  and 
his  wife  first  came  to  Assam  they  were  met  at 
Silghat  by  Mr.  Moore  and  brought  to  Nowgong 
for  a  visit.  And  there  sprung  up  an  intimate 
friendship  between  them  that  has  grown  and 
ripened  in  the  intervening  years.  So  Dr. 
Witter  next  spoke  of  Mr.  Moore  "As  a  Friend." 
He  first  told  of  experiences  of  early  years:  of 
the  kind  care  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  for  his 
wife  and  children  while  he  himself  was  off  in 
a  remote  mountain  station  for  many  months. 
...  of  the  true  friendship  that  had  continued 
during  the  years  when  they  were  working  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  pleasure 
of  renewed  intercourse  the  past  three  years. 
Dr.  Witter  closed  with  the  reading  of  an  adap- 
tation of  his  own  of  that  beautiful  poem  written 
by  a  famous  poet  for  his  dearest  friend — "  In 
Memoriam."  In  it  he  expressed  sympathy  for 
the  dearly  loved  wife  and  daughter  and  three 
little  grandsons  across  the  seas  and  the  brother 
and  sister  left  in  this  land.  He  paid  many 
glowing  tributes  of  love  and  honor  to  this  friend 
he  loved  so  well  and  we  all  knew  they  were  all 
richly  deserved. 


ioo  Medal. 

J.  A.  Dawson,  Deputy  Commissioner  of  the 
District  of  Nowgong,  paid  the  tribute  to  Mr. 
Moore  "As  a  Citizen."  He  repeated  many  of 
the  remarks  he  made  when  he  presented  Mr. 
Moore  with  the  Kaisar-i-Hind  medal,  a  mark 
of  honor  the  English  Government  bestows  for 
distinguished  and  faithful  service.  He  reviewed 
his  works  of  usefulness;  the  careful  and  con- 
structive work  he  had  done  in  the  Assamese 
language;  his  wise  counsel  as  a  member  of  the 
Government  High  School  Board;  his  successful 
efforts  to  advance  the  education  of  the  girls 
of  Assam,  mentioning  especially  his  work  as 
manager  of  the  Nowgong  Mission  Girls'  School, 
the  erection  of  whose  building  Mr.  Moore  per- 
sonally supervised,  often  working  on  them  with 
his  own  hands;  his  careful  attention  to  the 
village  schools  under  his  charge,  etc.,  etc. 

Twenty-five  years  ago,  on  returning  from  his 
first  furlough,  Pitt  Moore  brought  with  him 
his  young  brother,  Penn  Moore,  who  ever 
since,  from  the  little  station  on  Tika  Hill,  has 
labored  among  the  Mikirs  of  this  district. 
This  brother  spoke  of  the  last  few  days  of  his 
brother's  life.  He  told  of  the  long  trip  to  Cal- 
cutta two  weeks  before,  for  Mr.  Moore  became 
so  very  ill  during  the  Conference  for  which  he 
had  planned  and  looked  forward  to  all  winter 
that  it  was  thought  best  to  take  him  to  a 
hospital  in  Calcutta  for  treatment  and  then 
start  on  furlough  as  soon  as  possible.  Though 


Cemetery.  101 

very  weak,  a  blood  test  of  13  per  cent,  only, 
unable  to  take  strengthening  food,  he  bore  the 
long  night's  ride  in  the  ox-cart  and  the  twenty- 
seven  hours'  ride  in  the  train  uncomplainingly 
and  cheerfully.  He  told  also  of  his  last  night 
on  earth.  Ever  thoughtful  of  all  little  details 
of  business  affairs  he  still  seemed  to  have  the 
burden  of  his  work  on  his  mind  and  referred 
to  several  matters.  Once  when  he  seemed  tired 
and  restless  Penn  quoted  to  him  the  Twenty- 
third  Psalm,  and  he  answered,  "All  will  be 
ample.  All  will  be  ample."  Toward  morning 
he  seemed  sinking  away  and  at  five  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  March  3,  the  tired  eyes 
closed  in  their  long,  last  sleep  and  the  weary 
body  found  relief  from  suffering.  He  then  told 
the  secret  of  the  power  of  the  life  of  his  brother 
as  the  complete  surrender  of  his  own  will  to 
that  of  the  Master. 

Then  a  farewell  prayer  by  Walter  Mason 
and  the  procession  formed  in  line  to  bear  the 
casket  to  its  final  resting  place. 

Within  a  gray  stone  wall  on  one  of  the  main 
roads  of  Nowgong  is  a  neat,  pretty  little  Euro- 
pean cemetery,  where  rest  a  number  of  Now- 
gong's  former  citizens — English  officials  and 
teaplanters.  Here,  too,  are  monuments  in 
memory  of  those  pioneer  missionaries — Thomas, 
Scott  and  Bronson.  It  seemed  a  fitting  thing 
that  here  should  rest  also  the  ashes  of  Pitt 
Holland  Moore.  But  no!  This  man  who 


102  He  Rests. 

loved  the  people  so  had  several  years  ago  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  he  might  be  buried  among 
his  own  Christians  of  Nowgong,  and  so  down 
the  Mission  Compound  road  and  through  the 
Christian  community  proceed  the  long  pro- 
cession of  missionaries,  Europeans,  Christians, 
Hindus  and  Mohammedans  out  beyond  the 
town  to  an  open  piece  of  waste  land  where  for 
some  years  the  Christians  have  laid  away  their 
dead.  And  there,  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking 
toward  the  Western  land,  was  lowered  into  the 
grave  ready  to  receive  it,  all  that  was  left  to 
earth  of  this  hero  of  the  Cross.  No  wall  en- 
closes this  graveyard.  There  are  no  flowers  or 
shrubs.  No  monuments  to  mark  the  graves. 
But  after  all,  for  this  man  who  had  "  Lived  in 
a  house  by  the  side  of  the  road,"  it  seemed  the 
proper  burial  place. 

He  rests  as  he  had  worked — among  India's 
people.  Not  only  the  Christians  but  Hindus 
and  Mohammedans  have  been  greatly  touched 
by  this  last  act  of  devotion  to  them.  A  Hindu 
gentleman,  high  in  Government  position,  came 
from  Dubri,  Assam,  to  attend  the  funeral  ser- 
vices. Until  recently  he  had  lived  in  Now- 
gong, and  was  a  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Moore. 
He  has  for  some  time  been  a  Christian  at  heart 
but  has  not  yet  broken  away  from  family  or 
caste.  He  said  to  one  of  us,  "  By  this  act  Mr. 
Moore  has  given  himself  to  the  people  even  in 
death.  His  grave  there  will  be  a  constant 


A  Tribute.  103 

reminder  to  them  of  his  life  and  teaching  and 
though  he  is  dead  he  will  still  be  exerting  a 
great  influence  among  them."  A  Mohammedan 
gentleman  in  conversation  with  another  one 
of  our  number  said  much  the  same  thing  and 
added,  "  Mr.  Moore  seemed  more  than  a  man. 
He  was  Godlike."  Could  higher  praise  be 
given?  With  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  he  was  changed  into  the 
same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord. 

Miss  EDITH  CRISENBERRY. 


Pitt  Holland  Moore:  A  Tribute 

(From  the  Standard  of  May  27,  1916) 

Dr.  W.  E.  Witter  has  sent  the  following 
beautiful  tribute  to  his  friend  and  comrade, 
Rev.  Pitt  Holland  Moore,  of  Nowgong,  Assam, 
who  died  March  3,  1916,  and  an  account  of 
whose  life  has  already  appeared  in  the  Standard : 

Few,  if  any,  who  have  tried  to  make  this  old 
world  a  better  world  have  been  more  deserving 
of  the  name  "saint"  so  long  applied  to  our 
brother  by  his  fellow  missionaries.  To  the 
writer,  whose  life  he  saved  from  drowning  in 
the  swift  current  of  one  of  our  Assam  rivers 
thirty-two  years  ago,  Pitt  Moore  ranked  in 
winsome  saintliness  with  such  men  as  Doctors 
Edward  Judson,  Gordon,  Green,  and  Colby. 
Indeed,  after  many  days  of  careful  review  of 


1O4  Fellowship. 

his  wonderfully  beautiful  life,  I  can  still  say 
that  of  all  the  men  whom  I  have  intimately 
known  I  can  think  of  none  who  have  more  fully 
exemplified  habitually  the  characteristics  of  the 
Man  of  Galilee  as  I  have  interpreted  the  life 
of  the  Master — magnificently  human,  fully 
swayed  by  the  Spirit,  love  his  creed  and  love 
his  life. 

Many  months  at  different  periods  were  spent 
in  his  home.  We  camped  and  toured  together, 
conversed  on  all  subjects,  counseled  as  brothers, 
and  I  can  recall  no  unkind  word  to  have  ever 
passed  his  lips  in  my  presence  either  to  or 
about  any  one.  Still  he  was  a  man  of  exceed- 
ingly strong  convictions.  He  ordered  his  life 
as  one  "  native-born  to  the  Light,"  arrayed 
himself  in  "  a  heart  of  sympathy,  in  kindness, 
in  lowliness,  in  gentleness,  in  tireless  patience/' 
enfolding  himself  "  with  love — love,  the  all- 
clasping  bond,  the  mark  of  perfectness  " — and 
like  his  Lord  he  seemed  never  once  to  consult 
his  own  pleasure.  His  wife,  his  daughter,  his 
grandchildren,  his  brothers,  and  relatives,  his 
missionary  associates,  the  peoples  of  Assam  of 
whatever  caste,  race  or  religion,  were  always 
upon  his  heart  for  any  possible  ministry  he 
could  render,  and  every  ministry  of  his  was 
absolutely  without  ostentation.  Never  on  any 
occasion  did  he  give  the  slightest  indication  of 
wishing  to  attract  attention  to  himself — self 
seemed  the  farthest  from  his  thoughts.  No 


Return.  105 

one  ever  heard  him  speaking  of  his  own  achieve- 
ments. Indeed,  the  pronoun  "  I  "  seemed  to 
have  dropped  mysteriously  out  of  his  vocabu- 
lary. Cant  phrases  never  touched  his  lips,  the 
doctrines  he  held  were  too  sound,  and  his 
spiritual  life  too  healthy  for  the  use  of  such. 
He  strengthened  his  piety  with  tennis,  and  won 
honor  to  his  Lord  through  his  well-earned 
sweepstakes,  and  the  rough  planter  hailed  his 
coming  whenever  he  toured  his  district  in 
search  for  souls  to  be  won,  counseled  or  com- 
forted. All  who  knew  him  loved  him,  and 
those  who  knew  him  less  intimately,  even 
marked  him  as  "  the  perfect  man,"  and  some 
of  the  Hindus  regarded  him  as  a  possible 
incarnation  of  deity,  and  spoke  of  him  as  such. 
When  his  ashes  reached  the  station  sixteen 
miles  from  Nowgong,  numbers  of  the  native 
Christians  were  waiting  to  meet  the  bereaved 
brother,  Rev.  Penn  E.  Moore,  who  was  re- 
turning from  Calcutta  with  what  remained  of 
the  precious  form  that  for  thirty-six  years  had 
moved  among  them  seeking  for  each  of  them 
God's  very  best.  They  were  eager  for  the 
sacred  privilege  of  bearing  his  ashes  as  tenderly 
as  he  had  borne  with  their  ofttime  failures  to 
heed  his  counsels.  And  again,  when  it  was 
thought  that  possibly  the  burial  had  better  be 
in  the  beautiful  cemetery  where  stand  the 
memorial  tablets  of  missionaries  Thomas,  Scott, 
Dauble,  Grout,  and  Rhoda  Bronson,  such  a  cry 


jo6  Hindu  Gentleman. 

went  up  from  the  young  men  who  had  so  often 
tried  the  never-failing  patience  of  "  our  padre  " 
to  be  permitted  to  prepare  a  resting  place  for 
his  ashes  in  the  unenclosed  and  lonely  place 
where  lie  the  remains  of  the  native  Christians, 
that  the  boon  was  granted,  and  these  same 
young  men  not  only  dug  the  grave  but  filled 
it  with  blossoms  expressive  of  their  hope  that 
repentant  and  forgiven  they,  too,  might  be 
sharers  of  the  great  resurrection.  It  came  to 
be  known  also  that  Mr.  Moore  had  himself 
requested,  should  he  die  in  Assam,  that  he 
might  be  buried  with  his  people,  as  proof  that 
"  having  loved  his  own,  he  loved  them  unto 
the  end." 

A  young  Hindu  government  high-school 
student  wrote  to  a  friend:  "  Mr.  Moore  is 
the  most  Godlike  man  I  ever  saw,"  and  not 
many  hours  later  the  same  boy,  in  the  fatal 
throes  of  cholera,  was  sending  for  Mr.  Moore 
to  come  to  him.  The  young  Hindu  felt  that 
death's  terrors  would  be  less  if  he  could  but 
look  into  the  face  of  the  Godlike  man  who  had 
been  so  much  to  him,  as  he  had  been  to  so 
many  struggling  students,  a  father  and  friend 
in  need.  Another  Hindu  gentleman  of  high 
rank  came  a  long  and  tiresome  three  days' 
journey  by  rail  and  ox-cart  to  pay  his  respects 
at  the  funeral,  and  to  the  writer  he  said,  "  Was 
it  Mr.  Moore's  love  for  me  or  my  love  for  him 
that  drew  me  hither?  It  has  been  a  great 


From  "Missions."  107 

privilege  to  have  been  here."  We  learned  that 
he  would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  have  given 
his  personal  testimony  of  devotion  to  his 
friend,  and  would  have  done  so  but  for  the 
lateness  of  the  hour. 

Practically  the  whole  of  Nowgong:  Hindus, 
Mohammedans,  and  Europeans,  were  at  the 
funeral  held  under  the  porch  and  in  the  yard 
of  the  bungalow  so  long  occupied  by  the 
Moore's  and  built  in  1853  by  Dr.  I.  J.  Stod- 
dard,  now  resident  in  our  New  York  Home  for 
Aged  Ministers.  The  services  were  in  charge 
of  Rev.  A.  J.  Tuttle  and  Rev.  G.  R.  Kampfer, 
the  latter  having  the  conduct  of  the  hour  of 
vernacular  services,  immediately  preceding  the 
services  in  English. 


The  Passing  of  a  Missionary  Veteran 

(From  Missions,  for  May,  1916) 

In  the  death  of  Rev.  Pitt  Holland  Moore 
the  Assam  Mission  has  lost  one  of  its  most 
valued  workers.  He  was  born  December  4, 
1853,  at  Akyab,  Arracan,  Burma.  His  father, 
Rev.  Calvin  C.  Moore,  was  a  missionary  in 
Burma  from  1849  to  1855,  when  ill  health  com- 
pelled his  return  to  this  country.  Pitt  was 
baptized  at  the  age  of  nine.  He  graduated  at 
Colgate  University  in  1876  and  from  Hamilton 
Theological  Seminary  in  1879.  Shortly  after- 
ward he  was  appointed  a  missionary  of  the 


io8  Death, 

American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society. 
On  July  8,  1879,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jessie 
Fremont  Traver  and  the  young  couple  sailed 
for  Assam  in  the  fall,  designated  to  Nowgong. 
January  16,  1880,  they  reached  the  station 
which  was  to  be  the  scene  of  their  labors  for 
the  next  thirty-six  years.  They  returned  for 
their  fourth  term  of  service  in  1909.  Mrs. 
Moore's  health  made  it  necessary  for  her  to 
return  home  in  the  fall  of  1914,  but  Mr.  Moore 
remained  in  Assam.  The  force  of  missionaries 
there  was  small  and  he  carried  unusually  heavy 
burdens  during  the  next  year.  His  health  began 
to  fail  so  that  it  was  finally  decided  that  he 
would  have  to  take  furlough  in  the  spring  of 
1916.  His  strength,  however,  was  not  equal 
to  waiting  for  the  promised  relief  and  a  severe 
illness  sent  him  to  the  hospital  in  Calcutta, 
where  he  died  March  3,  1916. 

Mr.  Moore  was  greatly  loved  and  honored 
by  the  whole  mission.  None  more  worthily 
represented  the  Christ  he  served.  He  was  a 
man  of  peace  and  full  of  wisdom  and  great 
humility.  He  gave  thirty-six  full  years  of 
strong,  invaluable  service,  the  influence  of 
which  will  go  on  for  the  years  to  come.  He 
was  a  man  whose  advice  and  help  was  always 
sought,  for  he  never  gave  advice  until  he  had 
thought  the  matter  through  and  his  counsel 
was  wont  to  be  reliable.  In  a  recent  letter  to 
his  wife  he  said,  "  Perhaps  it  is  as  important 


Dr.  Witter's  Report.  109 

to  ask  what  sort  of  men  we  are  as  the  result 
of  the  experience  of  life,  as  to  ask  what  we  have 
done."  Judged  by  either  standard  he  stands 
high  and  his  loss  will  be  sorely  felt  by  all  who 
knew  him.  Besides  his  wife,  he  leaves  one 
daughter,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Harris,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
and  a  brother,  Rev.  P.  E.  Moore,  also  a  mis- 
sionary in  Assam.  Another  quotation  from  the 
letter  already  referred  is  perhaps  a  fitting  sum- 
mary of  his  life,  revealing  as  it  does  his  joy  in 
the  service  in  which  his  years  have  been  spent, 
and  his  constant  submission  to  the  Divine  will 
in  all  things:  "  How  many  blessings  have 
crowned  our  lives  through  all  the  happy  years! 
How  much  we  have  to  be  thankful  for!  Even 
the  hardships  of  life  have  their  uses;  and  we 
need  them,  I  suppose,  to  help  on  the  process 
of  conformity  to  the  Divine  pattern,  Who  was 
a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief." 


Assam  Baptist  Missionary  Conference 

By  W.  E.  WITTER,  D.  D.,  of  Gauhati 

February  17-24,  1916 

Thirty  years  ago!  How  eager  life  was  then! 
How  the  young  missionaries,  Pitt  Holland 
Moore  and  wife,  planned  for  the  Jubilee  Con- 
ference to  be  held  December  18-29,  1886!  As 
their  guests  at  that  time  what  joy  it  was  to 
labor  with  them  for  every  possible  comfort  of 
the  seventeen  other  missionaries  who  were  soon 


no  Burial. 

to  pitch  their  tents  on  the  spacious  lawns  and 
fill  the  old  bungalow,  built  in  1853  by  Dr. 
Stoddard,  with  chat  and  cheer  and  the  graver 
matters  then  before  the  Mission.  Oh  the 
changes  of  the  swift  passing  years!  The  fair 
hostess  of  those  Jubilee  days  now  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  in  the  home  of  the  then  little  four-year- 
old  daughter  Clara,  Mrs.  Roland  Harris,  M.  D. ; 
and  our  host  of  those  days  lying  on  a  cot  in 
the  same  bungalow,  too  feeble  to  rise,  yet 
greeting  each  and  all  with  glad  words  of  wel- 
come, the  old  time  cheery  smile,  hoping  we  are 
all  well  cared  for,  and  will  have  a  good  Con- 
ference, assuring  us  with  eager  grasps  and  fare- 
wells that  "It  is  all  right,  all  right!  "  Oh  it 
is  heartbreaking!  It  is  sanctifying!  It  is 
glorifying!  Ere  numbers  of  us  had  folded  our 
tents  for  departure  from  the  All-Assam  Con- 
vention immediately  following  the  Conference, 
and  the  Reference  and  Property  Committee 
sessions  following  this,  we  were,  with  practically 
all  the  prominent  Hindus  and  Mohammedans 
and  Europeans  of  Nowgong,  together  with  the 
little  flock  of  sorely  .bereaved  native  Christians, 
to  follow  his  ashes  to  the  lonely  and  uninclosed 
burial  ground,  where  he  had  asked  that  he 
might  sleep  among  his  people  as  token  of  the 
fact  that  "  having  loved  his  own,  he  loved  them 
unto  the  end."  No  wonder  our  hearts  were 
hushed  in  the  presence  of  this  shadow  which 
would  not  depart!  There  could  be  no  strife! 


Jubilee  Conference.  in 

The  spell  of  brotherhood  was  upon  us!  The 
first  evening  of  the  Conference  was  spent  in 
united  petition  that,  if  it  might  be  possible, 
this  cup  of  sorrow  might  pass  from  us.  Every 
hour  succeeding  brought  fresh  reminders  of  how 
through  others  he  had  wrought  for  our  every 
comfort,  and  again  and  again  was  sent  the 
message  to  the  sessions  that  none  must  be  de- 
pressed because  of  his  enforced  absence  and  the 
ebbing  of  life's  tide  with  him. 

And  who  is  this  whom  we  have  for  president? 
It  is  Walter  Mason,  the  lad  of  thirty  years  ago 
who  so  amused  the  Conference  attendants  .of 
that  day  by  his  sitting  hour  after  hour  beside 
little  Clara  Moore,  as  prim  and  apparently 
absorbed  in  the  questions  discussed  as  a  young 
theologue  at  his  first  Association  after  his 
marriage  and  ordination.  Now  with  undimin- 
ished  dignity  and  added  grace  he  is  holding  us 
to  time  most  winsomely.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Mason, 
unable  to  be  with  us  because  of  pressing  duties 
at  Tura,  are  the  only  other  missionaries  now 
in  Assam  of  that  Jubilee  Conference  save  the 
ever  young  Ella  Bond  of  Tura  and  the  writer; 
and  the  then  "  Baby  Witter  "  is  now  revelling 
in  his  work  among  the  Telugas  in  South  India. 
All  the  rest  who  made  up  that  Conference  of 
1886  are  in  the  home  land  or  have  taken  the 
farther  journey  to  join  "  the  great  cloud  of 
witnesses." 

And  what  has  the  harvest  been?    Those  were 


H2  Statistics. 

indeed  pioneer  days  as  compared  with  now! 
Our  working  force  on  the  field  then,  eight  men, 
seven  wives  and  four  young  ladies,  with  no 
physicians  or  nurses.  Our  corresponding  force 
today,  21  men,  16  wives  and  10  young  women, 
one  of  the  latter  a  nurse  and  two  of  the  men 
practicing  physicians  with  three  dispensaries 
and  one  hospital.  The  above  takes  no  account 
of  the  missionaries  on  furlough  or  of  several 
who  are  about  to  sail  for  America. 

In  1886,  at  the  time  of  our  Jubilee  Confer- 
ence, the  number  of  baptisms  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Mission  in  1836  was  only  2,881,  and 
the  membership  of  all  our  churches  only  1,775; 
while  last  year,  1915,  we  report  13,694  church 
members,  an  increase  of  765  per  cent,  in  the 
last  28  years,  with  an  increase  of  central  sta- 
tions from  10  in  1886  to  13  in  1915;  ordained 
native  preachers  increased  in  number  from  7  to 
9  and  unordained  from  11  to  108;  teachers  in 
village  schools  from  17  to  252,  or  1,482  per 
cent.;  boys  in  the  various  schools  from  1,103 
to  4,222,  or  383  per  cent.;  girls  from  186  to 
1,403,  or  757  per  cent.  Then  we  had  no  high 
school,  now  we  have  our  large  high  school  at 
Jorhat,  where  splendid  buildings  for  its  accom- 
modation by  way  of  hostels  are  under  con- 
struction. We  have  two  remarkable  kinder- 
garten schools  for  girls  at  Gauhati  and  Now- 
gong,  with  fine  buildings  for  hostels  and  higher 
grades  at  Nowgong,  and  the  same  at  Gauhati 


Gauhati  Work.  113 

fast  hastening  to  completion.  Tura  must  soon 
have  new  buildings  for  their  growing  girls' 
school,  and  Impur,  Jorhat  and  Sibsagor  must 
speedily  supply  buildings  and  equipment  and 
woman  missionaries  for  the  girls  from  many 
Christian  homes  awakening  to  a  desire  for 
education.  At  Tura  where  there  were  only 
70  girls  in  all  the  schools  in  1886  there  are  now 
no  less  than  750,  an  increase  of  1,071  per  cent. 

At  one  of  the  teas  on  the  lawn  during  the 
Conference,  Mr.  J.  A.  Dawson,  Deputy  Com- 
missioner of  Nowgong,  rehearsed  in  gracious 
words  the  achievements  of  Mr.  P.  H.  Moore 
in  the  interests  of  female  education  in  Now- 
gong, and  then  went  to  the  bungalow  and 
presented  Mr.  Moore  in  person  the  Kaisar-i- 
Hind  silver  medal  awarded  by  King  George 
and  the  Government  of  India  for  distinguished 
efforts  for  the  elevation  of  the  peoples  of 
India.  Our  brother  had  known  for  several 
months  that  this  award  had  been  made,  but 
had  been  obliged,  on  account  of  pressure  of 
work  and  impaired  health,  to  decline  an  invi- 
tation from  the  Chief  Commissioner  of  Assam 
to  come  to  the  capital,  Shillong,  and  receive 
this  token  of  honor  at  a  public  meeting. 

The  report  of  work  among  college  and  high 
school  students  from  Gauhati  which  mentioned 
the  recording  of  the  names  of  422  different 
students  who  had  come  to  the  mission  bunga- 
low since  July  15 — numbers  of  them  coming 


114  New  Missionaries. 

week  after  week,  and  some  month  after  month, 
for  Bible  study  and  religious  conversation — 
again  strongly  re-emphasized  the  need  of  hostel 
buildings  for  our  Christian  young  men,  and  as 
many  Hindus  and  Mohammedans  as  care  to 
place  themselves  under  Christian  influence,  not 
only  at  Gauhati  but  at  other  stations  as  well, 
and  the  putting  forth  of  every  possible  effort 
to  win  these  future  leaders  of  the  province  to 
Jesus  Christ. 

One  evening  was  given  to  the  welcome  of 
new  and  returning  missionaries  and  to  Prof. 
W.  E.  Wiatt,  visiting  delegate  from  the  Burman 
Conference,  whose  presence  and  help  brought 
abundant  blessing  both  to  the  Conference  and 
to  the  All-Assam  Convention  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  Conference.  At  the  latter  there  were 
delegates  from  many  different  tribes  to  the 
number  of  over  700,  a  Convention  strongly 
characterized  by  the  confession  of  sins  and 
past  indifference,  a  fresh  outpouring  of  the 
evangelistic  spirit,  with  glad  reports  from 
several  of  the  fields  of  the  splendid  results  of 
the  All- Assam  Evangelistic  Campaign  of  last 
March  and  April,  and  the  promise  of  a  still 
more  vigorous  campaign  this  March  and  April. 

Unfortunately  space  will  not  allow  even 
mention  of  many  matters  of  great  importance 
which  were  amicably  considered.  One  out- 
standing feature  was  several  afternoon  sessions 
in  the  new  auditorium  of  the  fine  girls'  school 


An  Appreciation.  115 

building  in  the  presence  of  a  magnificent  display 
of  maps,  photographs,  charts,  curios,  etc., 
which  had  been  collected  and  set  up  with  great 
care  by  Messrs.  Kampfer  and  Bowers,  a  mis- 
sionary from  each  station  giving  illuminating 
addresses  from  the  maps  of  the  work  on  his 
field.  The  secretary  was  unanimously  reelected 
for  another  year  and  an  unanimous  and  hearty 
vote  passed  commending  most  emphatically  his 
wise  and  arduous  labors  of  the  past  year.  The 
Reference  Committee  membership  was  increased 
from  three  to  five,  one  of  whom  was  appointed 
from  the  W.  A.  B.  F.  M.  S.  as  an  experiment. 
There  were  encouraging  reports  from  nearly 
every  station,  with  discouragements  in  some 
which  must  be  overcome,  and  which  will  be 
overcome,  if  only  the  friends  at  home  will  send 
the  men  and  women  to  reinforce  these  fields, 
and  furnish  something  like  an  adequate  yearly 
financial  support  for  educational  and  evan- 
gelistic work,  which  must  go  hand  in  hand  if 
we  are  to  continue  to  make  approximately 
satisfactory  effort  in  the  spiritual  tillage  of  this 
awakening  province. 


P.  H.  Moore:  An  Appreciation 

By  G.  G.  CROZIER 

(From  The  Standard,  of  Chicago,  111.,  for  April  IS,  1916) 

Honored  by  government,  loved  by  his  fellow- 
men,  called  to  rest  by  his  Master,  a  man  of 


u6  Steamer  Passage  Engaged. 

tender  heart,  Rev.  Pitt  Holland  Moore,  M.  A., 
K.  I.  H.,  laid  down  his  work  March  3,  1916, 
after  a  little  over  thirty-six  years  of  active  mis- 
sion service.  Two  and  one-half  of  the  thirty-six 
years  were  spent  in  three  furloughs.  He  at- 
tended every  Conference  of  the  Assam  Mission 
from  the  Jubilee  Conference  in  1886  till  the  last 
one  late  in  February  this  year,  during  which  he 
was  carried  from  his  home  to  a  hospital  in  Cal- 
cutta, where  it  was  hoped  he  might  recover 
strength  for  the  journey  to  the  United  States. 
His  steamer  passage  had  been  engaged,  but  his 
body  was  carried  back  and  buried  near  his 
home  in  Nowgong,  Assam,  among  those  that 
loved  him  and  for  whom  he  had  given  his 
whole  life,  a  consistent  living  sacrifice.  A  great 
peacemaker,  persistent,  never  obtrusive,  he  was 
ever  a  benediction  in  conference,  in  committees, 
in  local  work  with  the  natives  and  with  his  fel- 
low missionaries,  and  in  government  dealings. 

His  wife,  their  daughter,  a  physician,  the 
wife  of  Dr.  R.  C.  Harris  of  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
his  brothers,  Prof.  Orson  W.  Moore  of  New 
York  City,  and  Rev.  Penn  E.  Moore  of  Tika, 
Assam,  India,  are  the  remaining  members  of 
his  family.  His  father  was  a  missionary  seven 
years  in  Akyab,  Arracan,  Burma.  Pitt  was 
brought  to  America  at  the  age  of  two  years,  and 
baptized  at  the  age  of  nine.  He  was  educated 
in  the  district  school  in  Ontario,  Knox  Co.,  111., 
in  the  University  of  Chicago,  in  Madison  (now 


Treasurer  of  Mission.  117 

Colgate)  University,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1876,  and  in  Hamilton  Theological 
Seminary,  being  graduated  in  1879.  He  was 
ordained  July  23,  1879.  He  was  married 
July  8,  1879,  in  Averill  Park,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss 
Jessie  Fremont  Traver,  daughter  of  a  lawyer 
of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  sailed  for  India,  October 
11,  1879,  under  appointment  of  the  American 
Baptist  Missionary  Union,  to  Nowgong,  Assam. 
Mrs.  Moore  was  on  furlough  in  America  at  the 
time  of  his  last  illness.  It  was  known  that  he 
should  have  come  too,  but  there  was  no  one 
even  beginning  to  prepare  to  take  his  place. 
His  strength  failed  faster  than  we  had  antici- 
pated, and  the  burdens  unadjusted  were  sud- 
denly laid  down. 

For  many  years  he  was  treasurer  of  the 
Assam  Mission.  From  its  formation  fifteen 
years  ago  he  was  a  member,  often  chairman, 
of  the  reference  committee,  except  while  on 
furloughs.  Often  he  plead  for  release  that  he 
might  devote  his  time  to  the  development  of 
the  Christian  work  of  his  own  district,  where 
some  of  the  native  Christians  reproached  him 
painfully  and  unjustly  for  seeming  neglect. 
Duties  of  administration  pressed  upon  him  and 
he  bowed  in  silence  to  the  will  of  his  fellow 
missionaries  and  of  the  board.  Great  were  the 
burdens  in  connection  with  the  enlargement  of 
the  splendid  girls'  school,  now  so  well  established 
in  Nowgong.  He  was  attorney  for  the  Assam 


u8  Kaisar-i-Hind  Medal. 

Mission.  The  Christians  in  his  district  in- 
creased from  about  100  to  about  700,  and  could 
easily  have  been  many  more  if  his  time  had  been 
available  for  that  work.  During  his  generation 
he  was  the  best  student  of  the  Assamese  lan- 
guage in  the  Assam  Mission.  With  the  aid  of 
Henry  Goldsmith,  an  Assamese  Christian  of 
culture  he  revised  and  annotated  the  fifth, 
edition  of  the  Assamese  New  Testament  and 
introduced  a  careful  series  of  marginal  refer- 
ences. For  his  long,  conspicuous,  and  successful 
service  the  king-emperor,  through  the  Govern- 
ment of  India,  awarded  him  one  of  the  corona- 
tion medals,  and  again,  on  January  1,  1915,  in 
recognition  of  his  philanthropy  and  loyalty  to 
government,  the  king-emperor  conferred  on  him 
the  honorary  title  Kaisar-i-Hind  with  medal. 
A  noted  tennis  player,  he  was  the  secretary  of 
the  local  athletic  club,  and,  because  -of  some 
Sunday  playing,  he  sent  in  his  book  and  resig- 
nation; but  it  was  promptly  returned  with  the 
assurance  there  would  be  no  Sunday  playing. 
Strong,  simple,  direct  in  faith,  relying  on  the 
Bible  as  God's  message  to  man,  with  a  tender 
heart  and  a  strong,  virile  mind,  Mr.  Moore  was 
a  model  missionary;  he  lived  the  Christly  life. 
Tura,  Assam. 


Verses  by  Dr.  Witter  119 

An  Adaptation  of  Tennyson's 
"  In  Memoriam." 

Read  by  Dr.  W.  E.  WITTER  at  the  funeral  of 
Rev.  PITT  HOLLAND  MOORE,  March  8,  1916 

Strong  Son  of  God,  immortal  Love, 
Whom  we,  that  have  not  seen  Thy  face, 
By  faith,  and  faith  alone  embrace, 
Believing  when  we  cannot  prove. 

Thou  wilt  not  leave  us  in  the  dust; 
Thou  madest  man,  he  knows  not  why; 
He  thinks  he  was  not  made  to  die 
And  Thou  hast  made  him:     Thou  art  just. 

Thou  seemest  human  and  divine, 
The  highest,  holiest  manhood,  Thou; 
Our  wills  are  ours,  we  know  not  how; 
Our  wills  are  ours  to  make  them  Thine. 

Forgive  our  grief  for  one  removed, 
Thy  royal  son  we  found  so  fair. 
We  know  he  lives  in  Thee,  and  there 
Lives  on  to  be  forever  loved. 

But  how  can  we  forecast  the  years 
And  find  in  loss  a  gain  to  match, 
Or  reach  a  hand  through  time  to  catch 
The  far  off  interest  of  tears? 

Let  Love  clasp  Grief  lest  both  be  drowned : 
Show  Thou  the  long  result  of  love; 
Reveal  the  joy  of  those  above 
Whose  spirits  cling  not  to  the  ground. 

O  wife  bereaved,  where  e'er  thou  be. 
Thy  whole  soul  pledged  to  him  that's  gone, 
Although  a  martyr's  crown  he  won 
His  heart  of  heart  still  beats  for  thee. 

O  daughter,  looking  for  him  home, 
Eager  to  meet  him  on  the  way, 
With  wishes,  thinking  here  today, 
Or  here  tomorrow  he  may  come. 


I2O  Verses  by  Dr.  Witter 

His  spirit  welcome,  free  of  pain; 
Recall  the  smile,  the  tender  clasp 
Of  hands  that  now  have  lost  their  grasp 
The  spirit's  stronger  hold  to  gain. 

Grandchildren,  waiting  full  of  glee 
To  find  who  first  may  win  the  prize, 
And  catch  the  twinkle  of  his  eyes, 
And  mount  in  triumph  on  his  knee. 

Oh  count  your  loss  a  gain  for  those — 
The  orphaned  of  another  land — 
Who  live  because  they  grasped  his  hand, 
And  o'er  his  ashes  plant  the  rose. 

Oh  brothers,  far  away  and  here, 
No  heart,  save  One,  e'er  beat  more  true. 
That  One's  heart  throbbings  well  he  knew 
And  lived  His  love  from  year  to  year. 

Oh  friends,  e'en  yet,  if  this  might  be, 
We,  falling  on  his  ashened  heart, 
Would,  breathing,  each  of  us  impart 
What  life  survives  in  you  and  me. 

Nay,  let  him  rest,  who  lived  for  all, 
For  you  and  me,  and  you  and  you — 
This  friend,  who  malice  never  knew, 
And  sprang  to  every  human  call. 

Our  lesser  griefs,  that  may  be  said, 
That  breathe  a  thousand  tender  vows, 
Are  but  as  servants  in  a  house 
Where  lies  the  master  newly  dead. 

Who  speak  their  feeling  as  it  is, 
And  weep  the  fullness  of  the  mind: 
"  It  will  be  hard,"  they  say,  "  to  find 
Another  service  such  as  his." 

Our  lighter  moods  are  like  to  these 
That  out  of  words  a  comfort  win, 
But  there  are  other  griefs  within, 
And  tears  that  at  their  fountain  freeze. 

Still  onward  winds  for  us  the  way 
Where  we,  like  him,  may  also  prove 
No  lapse  of  moons  can  canker  love 
The  love  that  holds  eternal  sway. 


Rev.  John  Firth's  Tribute.  121 

Our  own  dim  life  should  teach  us  this, 
That  life  shall  live  forevermore, 
Else  earth  is  darkness  at  the  core 
And  dust  and  ashes  all  that  is. 

But  lo,  the  Word  had  breath  and  wrought 
With  human  deeds  the  creed  of  creeds, 
In  loveliness  of  perfect  deeds 
More  strong  than  all  poetic  thought: 

Which  he  may  read  that  binds  the  sheaf, 
Or  builds  the  house,  or  digs  the  grave, 
And  finds  his  spirit  growing  brave 
Beneath  the  rainbow  of  his  grief. 


Death  of  a  Missionary  in  Assam 

(From  The  Baptist  Record,  of  Pella,  la.,  for  May  6,  1916) 

He  was  an  older  brother  of  Rev.  P.  E.  Moore 
of  Waverly,  la.,  and  his  name  was  P.  H.  Moore. 
He  was  present  in  Red  Oak,  at  the  Iowa  Bap- 
tist State  Convention,  in  the  year  1890,  while 
Pastor  Haggard  was  in  Red  Oak.. 

Rev.  P.  H.  Moore  was  born  in  Burma,  his 
father  having  been  a  missionary  in  that  coun- 
try. He  was  educated  in  New  York,  and  was 
a  graduate  of  Colgate.  His  wife  and  daughter 
are  now  living  in  New  York.  He  was  over 
sixty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
after  having  lived  something  like  forty  years 
in  Nowgong,  Assam.  He  has  been  in  failing 
health  for  over  a  year,  and  just  lately  his 
brother  came  down  from  the  Mikir  Hills  to 
Nowgong  and  took  him  to  Calcutta,  where 
he  died  in  the  General  Hospital  the  3rd  of 


122  Literary  Work. 

March,  1916.  Mrs.  Moore  and  the  daughter 
were  looking  for  him  to  come  home  to  New 
York  this  year. 

He  was  an  unusual  man.  His  spirit  was  most 
excellent,  and  he  seemed  the  personification  of 
every  good  quality.  In  Assam  he  has  been 
like  an  affectionate  father  to  all  the  rest  of 
us.  He  had  mastered  the  Assamese  language 
to  such  an  extent  that  no  native  of  the  country 
was  his  equal.  He  translated  from  the  original 
parts  of  the  New  Testament  into  Assamese. 
He  and  his  wife  together  gave  the  people  of  the 
land  many  books  in  Assamese  which  are  used 
in  all  our  schools  and  in  evangelizing  among 
the  unsaved.  P.  H.  Moore  also  prepared  our 
Assamese  hymn  book. 

He  literally  worked  himself  to  death.  At 
the  time  of  my  first  coming  to  Assam  in  the 
year  1893,  he  was  alone  at  Nowgong  in  one 
of  the  largest  districts  in  the  province  and  was 
asking  for  a  helper.  During  all  the  years  since 
that  time  he  has  patiently  and  continuously 
asked  for  a  helper  at  Nowgong  and  none  have 
yet  come  from  America.  Now  he  rests  from 
his  labors. 

"  Where  are  the  reapers? 
Oh!  who  will  come  ?  " 

Somebody  ought  to.  Yes,  there  should  now 
be  quite  a  number  of  men  from  America, 
getting  ready  to  come  to  the  mission  stations 
of  Assam.  JOHN  FIRTH. 


Conference.  123 

The  Assam  Mission  Conference 

(From  the  Watchman-Examiner,  June  8,  1916) 

The  Assam  Conference  met  at  Nowgong, 
February  17-24,  1916.  Nowgong,  with  its  up- 
to-date  girls'  boarding  school,  its  ancient  bunga- 
lows, and  its  veteran  missionary,  Rev.  P.  H. 
Moore,  lying  on  his  bed  suffering  from  pernicious 
aenemia,  from  which  he  did  not  recover. 
Twenty-three  in  all  gathered  on  the  large  and 
commodious  compound,  some  putting  up  in 
the  women's  bungalow,  others  in  P.  H.  Moore's 
house,  some  in  tents  large  and  small,  and  the 
remainder  in  grass  huts.  One  visitor  was  Rev. 
W.  E.  Wiatt,  from  Insein,  Burma. 

No  papers  were  read,  but  field  reports  took 
their  place.  A  Bible  reading  every  afternoon 
by  Dr.  W.  E.  Witter  led  our  thoughts  away 
from  mundane  things  and  the  extra  burdens 
cast  upon  each  and  every  one  of  us  by  the 
absence  of  many.  Rev.  W.  C.  Mason  made  an 
ideal  president,  especially  for  those  who  broke 
Robert's  rules  of  order  at  every  sitting.  The 
permanent  constitution  and  by-laws  of  the 
Conference  still  await  another  Conference  to 
tackle  this  thorny  subject.  Intensive  policy 
was  on  the  program  for  discussion,  but  the 
president  forgot  all  about  it,  much  to  the  relief 
of  all.  Language  study  and  examinations  for 
future  recruits  and  for  some  on  the  field  were 
made  more  prominent,  and  the  committee  for 
same  was  requested  to  deal  with  the  matter 


124  Days  in  Nowgong. 

in  a  more  drastic  and  wide-awake  way.  Some- 
thing will  have  to  be  done  to  take  the  place 
of  the  present  go-as-you-please  method,  and 
before  the  next  Conference  there  are  hopes 
that  something  will  be  accomplished.  The 
Educational  Council  proposals  took  up  some 
time.  A  proposal  to  put  two  women  mission- 
aries into  a  girls'  school  and  boarding  depart- 
ment at  Jorhat,  under  government  authority, 
and  under  conditions  framed  by  the  Hindu  and 
Mohammedan  community  of  the  town,  was 
discussed  principally  on  the  point  of  religious 
instruction  being  given  in  school  hours  or  out- 
side school  hours.  It  was  thought  better  to 
agree  to  the  conditions  laid  down  by  the  par- 
ties concerned,  and  trust  the  women  mission- 
aries to  use  their  influence.  One  of  the  women 
will  be  permitted  to  do  zenana  work  in  the 
homes  of  the  men  of  the  town.  The  Con- 
ference voted  acceptance  of  the  proposal. 

Field  reports  from  all  the  fields  except  one 
were  presented,  and  there  was  cause  for  much 
thankfulness  that,  in  spite  of  the  lamentable 
lack  of  workers  in  Assam,  some  of  the  workers 
supervising  two  and  even  three  other  fields 
beside  their  own,  the  Lord  was  still  carrying 
out  His  purpose  to  take  out  from  among  the 
Gentiles  a  people  for  His  name.  Outstanding 
points  in  the  reports  were  the  opposition  of 
some  professing  Christians  in  the  Garo  Hills, 
the  bright  outlook  for  the  cottage  system  for 


Journey  to  Calcutta.  125 

the  girls'  boarding  school  at  Gauhati,  the  unique 
opening  at  Jorhat  for  a  new  girls'  boarding 
school,  the  increase  to  231  boys  at  the  Jorhat 
Christian  schools,  the  large  number  of  Ao  Naga 
Christians  who  attended  their  annual  associa- 
tion meetings — 1,700  I  believe  was  the  number 
mentioned — the  extension  of  the  work  in 
Manipur  among  the  Kukis,  of  whom  a  large 
number  have  already  been  baptized  and  liter- 
ally hundreds  of  whom  are  waiting  for  the 
missionary  to  reach  them  in  their  mountain 
home,  and  the  sudden  opposition  created  by  the 
Raja  and  his  Darbar,  and  the  British  officials. 
While  the  meetings  were  going  on  P.  H. 
Moore  was  quietly  removed  to  Calcutta,  where 
in  the  hospital  he  lingered  on  for  a  week,  dying 
on  the  3rd  of  March,  1916.  For  thirty-six 
years  he  had  held  the  fort  at  Nowgong.  His 
loss  was  deeply  felt  by  his  fellow  missionaries, 
the  officials  of  the  town,  and  the  heathen  and 
Christian  community.  His  body  was  cremated 
and  the  ashes  were  brought  back  to  Nowgong, 
where  they  were  buried,  according  to  his  own 
desire,  in  the  native  Christian  cemetery,  after 
memorial  services  in  the  vernacular  and  in 
English,  on  the  portico  of  his  own  house.  Thus 
ended  a  life  wholly  and  unselfishly  given  up  to 
the  service  of  the  Master. 


126  Convention. 

The  All- Assam  Convention 

The  All- Assam  Convention  was  held,  Feb- 
ruary 24-27,  1916,  in  a  large  pandal  or  taber- 
nacle near  the  Nowgong  chapel.  Rev.  G.  R. 
Kampfer  was  chairman,  and  a  number  of  the 
native  Christians  from  all  parts  of  Assam  took 
leading  parts.  One  native  was  ordained  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Nowgong  District.  Sixteen 
young  girls  were  baptized  in  the  river  on  Sun- 
day morning,  the  missionaries  and  native 
Christians  forming  an  animated  scene  on  the 
bank.  The  program  was  a  full  one,  and  live 
questions  concerning  the  moral  and  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  believers  were  debated  with  no 
little  ze"al,  and  acted  upon.  There  were  about 
800  delegates  from  the  different  fields.  The 
climax  to  the  Convention  and  Conference  came 
on  Sunday  afternoon  in  the  shape  of  a  grand 
parade  of  all.  Divided  up  into  the  several 
field  divisions,  and  some  by  tribes,  with  flags 
waving,  drums  beating,  cymbals  clashing,  and 
the  accompaniment  of  a  single  violin,  the  mis- 
sionaries walking  with  or  heading  their  respec- 
tive contingents,  we  paraded  through  the  prin- 
cipal streets  of  town.  Hymn  singing  in  a  dozen 
different  languages  all  at  the  same  time,  pro- 
duced such  a  noise  as  to  make  all  Nowgong 
understand  that  there  were  worshipers  of  the 
true  God,  and  that  they  knew  how  to  sing 
His  praises.  A  final  grouping  into  four  com- 
panies around  the  large  market  place  and  the 


Exhibit.  127 

preaching  and  singing  of  the  Gospel  wound  up 
a  glorious  day's  work  for  the  Master.  We  all 
wended  our  way  back  to  our  tents  and  grass 
huts,  feeling  that  it  was  good  to  be  Christians, 
and  fellow  brothers  of  the  Christian  host  of 
Assam. 

I  must  not  forget  the  exhibit  of  literature, 
maps,  industrial  and  kindergarten  work,  church 
and  school  forms,  and  snapshots  from  each  sta- 
tion, which  were  admirably  displayed  in  the 
girls'  school  assembly  hall.  So  good  was  it  that 
we  intend  to  improve  on  it. 

WILLIAM  PETTIGREW. 


128  Conference  Hymn. 

OUR  BATTLE  HYMN 
Tune — How  Firm  a  Foundation 

O  God,  in  all  conflicts  the  Victor  at  last, 
Ride  forth  now  to  conquer  till  evil  be  past; 
Till  right,  truth  and  honor  the  world  shall  enfold 
With  peace  and  the  glory  by  prophets  foretold. 

As  now  in  the  trenches  of  combat  we  toil, 
Oft  torn  and  disheartened  at  Satan's  huge  spoil, 
O  help  us,  our  King,  to  forget  not  that  Thou 
Wilt  bring  all  Hell's  legions  before  Thee  to  bow! 

Assam  be  the  fortress  of  saints  brave  and  strong, 
Unconquered  in  warfare  'gainst  falsehood  and  wrong, 
Who'll  set  these  fair  mountains  and  plains  all  ablaze 
With  lights  of  salvation  through  all  coming  days. 

When  crowned,  may  Assam  be  Thy  jewel  most  bright, — 

In  times  of  Thy  testings,  a  beckoning  light, — 

A  frontier  of  refuge,  a  haven  of  rest, 

A  home  of  calm  safety  to  spirits  oppressed. 

May  we  who  are  sent  these  attacks  to  begin, 
Press  forward,  still  forward  with  Thee  Who  must  win. 
Our  tryst  at  Nowgong,  our  regirding,  Thy  call 
To  arms  for  our  crowning  of  Thee,  Lord  of  All. 

With  saints  whose  rejoicings  and  prayers  speed  us  on 
To  tasks  Thou  didst  call  them  to  leave  here  undone. 
We  join  in  one  chorus  of  praise  and  the  claim 
Assam  shall  be  Thine  through  one  Life-giving  Name. 

WILLIAM  ELLSWORTH  WITTER, 

Assam  Mission  Conference, 
Nowgong,  Assam,  Feb.,  1916. 


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